Nighttide Star

by Vertigo-01

Chapter 4 - Celestial Counsel

’Warm. Cozy. Perfect.’

Nighttide let loose a long yawn as the light of the morning sun shone over her closed eyes. She nuzzled against her pillow and pulled the covers further up her barrel, the warmth of which seeped pleasantly through her alloy suit. Not a voice or command or anything of any sort begged her to rise, which almost felt as foreign as the world around her. As she adjusted to the light streaming through the windows, she could hear a few birds chirping merrily outside. She also smelled something very yummy wafting from downstairs.

“Oh yeah. I could get used to this,” she said to herself as she slid out of bed. After stretching her mechanical limbs, Nighttide walked downstairs to find Fluttershy feeding her animals in the living area.

The pegasus looked up from a bag of feed she was pouring into a bowl. “Oh, good morning Nighttide. Did you sleep well?”

Looking a bit worse for wear, her mane and tail strewn all over the place, Nighttide said, “Yup. Totally the best sleep ever.”

Fluttershy smiled, a little bit of sleep still evident in the haziness of her eyes. “That’s wonderful. If you’d like, you can use the upstairs bathroom to tidy up some.”

Feeling more than a little grody, Nighttide smirked at the offer. “Sounds good. But, uh… do I smell something cooking?”

“Oh, yes! I decided I would make us some breakfast. Do pancakes sound good to you?”

Her mouth immediately watering, Nighttide replied, “Please tell me butter is a thing here, too.”

Fluttershy giggled. “Yes, of course.”

Nighttide scampered in place. “That sounds amazing! Thank you so much! I’ll get cleaned up right now!” And with that, she scurried back up the stairs.

__________

A few minutes later, Nighttide trotted into the dining room, sporting her layered mane and a shiny suit. “Thanks for letting me freshen up some. Definitely feel a lot better.”

“You’re very welcome. You can have a seat there if you’d like.” Fluttershy suggested a seat across from the table she sat at, where pancakes and juice were laid out in a most quaint fashion.

“Oh Fluttershy, this looks absolutely amazing,” Nighttide said as she took her seat. “You did all of this yourself?”

“Yes! It’s not often that I get to cook for a guest.” Fluttershy gave her guest a warm smile as she offered her some pancakes.

The two enjoyed a quiet meal together, Nighttide devouring all but half of the stack available to her. The creatures around them also partook in breakfast time, and the birds outside continued to serenade them in the background.

Nighttide could barely contain herself. Everything about this place, everything that had happened so far – it was so out of context from what she was used to, and yet it had been one of the most pleasant experiences she could recall. She always liked trying new things as a filly, but having been kept at the Ridley facility for so long, she had all but forgotten what it was like to be swept up in something so utterly new and unknown.

But then she remembered her vow to herself last night. Her guard having been brought down in such a quick fashion, she promised to be more cautious throughout the day. At the same time, she also remembered the words of the Princess.

“Oh, that’s right,” Nighttide blurted out with a little food in her mouth. “Last night, I ran into Princess Luna.”

“You did?” Fluttershy asked, her eyes widening.

“Yep. Said she wanted to meet with me while she had a chance… which I guess means I won’t see her today with Princess Celestia.”

“Perhaps not,” Fluttershy noted. “Speaking of, I have to run into town to take care of some errands, and I’m sure Twilight will need to meet with you soon. Would you like to join me?”

“Sure.” Nighttide downed some juice and graciously thanked Fluttershy for the meal.

After a bit, Nighttide and Fluttershy embarked for Ponyville, the pegasus sporting a small saddlebag that allowed the use of her wings. As they walked together, Nighttide continued to glance over at Fluttershy, eyeing her collapsed wings. Fluttershy noticed a couple of her glances and eventually asked, “Is there something wrong?”

“I just can’t get over the wings,” Nighttide said with breathy fascination. “I mean, we have stuff that allows us to fly in my homeland, but we’ve never heard of a pony who was born with wings.”

Fluttershy blushed as she returned her attention forward. “Well, how do your ponies fly?”

“Using machines. We use machines to do a lot of things we can’t do otherwise, like fly.”

“What do these ‘machines’ look like?”

Nighttide hummed in thought for a moment. “Well, there are all kinds of flying machines. Some are large and round, and use helium to float – not unlike Pinkie’s balloons. Some are small and streamlined; those use a principle based very much off of how your wings work, using lift and drag to raise and lower altitude with wind and propulsion.”

“What an interesting world you come from.”

Nighttide shrugged. “Maybe to someone who’s not used to it all. Kinda like how this place is fascinating to me!”

Passing the farm on the left, Nighttide noticed some cattle grazing on the grass outside. ‘Now here is one creature we do have back home,’ she thought. Her analysis from last night recorded much of the same information, but she still wondered to herself if there might be some differences. Just as they were passing by, she swore she saw one of them wink at her. “Uh, Flutter—”

“Hey, Fluttershy!” Applejack rounded the bend near Ponyville toward the two, towing a wooden wagon behind her.

“Oh, hi Applejack,” Fluttershy greeted. “What are you doing out here?”

“‘Bout to go check on the east orchard.” She turned to Nighttide and tipped her hat. “How’s everything goin’?”

“Pretty good,” Nighttide said with a smile. “We’re heading to Ponyville so I can meet with Twilight.”

“Gotcha. Well, hope I catcha’ round then!” Applejack continued on her way as Fluttershy and Nighttide entered town.

‘Huh! Well, this is a completely different scene from last night,’ Nighttide thought to herself. The town was bustling with ponies here and there, windows were swung open, wonderful smells of all sort filled the air, and there was an overall sense of happiness and well-being all around.

“Whoa… it’s like a fairy-tale land,” Nighttide remarked to Fluttershy. Just as they turned left, they ran into Rarity crossing the street.

“Well hello there Fluttershy, Nighttide,” Rarity gave a cordial greeting.

“Hello yourself,” Nighttide replied, feeling a bit more relaxed thanks to the pleasant surroundings. “What’s up?”

“Oh, well, I’m just gathering some materials for my latest fashion line,” Rarity said with a glance to her saddlebags. Clearing her throat, she looked back and said, “Nighttide, dear. Please tell me you will be in town long enough for me to try out some designs on you.” She gave the mare a slightly pleading look, which Nighttide was not at all expecting. “It would be an absolute delight if I could design something to match your unique… er, ensemble? I suppose you would call it?”

Running a hoof through the back of her mane, Nighttide said, “Uh… well, to be honest, I really have no idea what’s going to happen next, especially after I meet with Princess Celestia.”

“Well, if it so happens you will have an extended stay here in Ponyville, do be sure to stop by my shop and let me give a few ideas a try! Free of charge!” Her eyes sparkled with desire, and Nighttide couldn’t help but giggle a little at the pony’s enthusiasm.

“Alright, so long as you promise nothing too fancy,” she said with a slight smirk.

“Of course not, my dear! Why on earth would I ever do such a thing?” The unicorn was clearly miffed, sporting a tense smile that failed to hide her disappointment. Nevertheless, she quickly recovered and said, “Well, best be on my way! You two have a good day, now!”

“See you later, Rarity,” Fluttershy called back. After a few minutes, they rounded a corner toward a large tree. As the two trotted forward, Fluttershy looked over at Nighttide with a smile. “This is where Twilight lives.”

“Oh!… In a tree?” Nighttide said casually, not wanting to let on just how far she had been out last night.

“Yes. This is also the Golden Oak Library.”

Nighttide arched an eyebrow. ‘To think that a pony would live in a library!’

Fluttershy went ahead of Nighttide and knocked on the door. After a moment, a small purple and green creature with scales opened the door. “Hey Fluttershy,” the creature called up to her, fatigue still clear in its tone. “What’re you doing up so early?”

“Hi, Spike. I’ve brought a new friend with me today. She’s here to meet with Twilight!”

Spike rubbed his eyes before muttering, “Oh yeah, isn’t her name Nightlight or somethin’?”

Nighttide stifled a giggle, then peeked around from behind Fluttershy to get a better look.

“Whoa…” Spike’s slit pupils grew wide at the sight of the strange mare. “Is that her?”

“Yes,” Fluttershy said as she turned to face the mare in question. “Nighttide, this is Spike, Twilight’s assistant.”

The little creature walked up to Nighttide and extended a claw to shake. “Nice to meet you, Nighttide!”

“G-greetings, Spike,” she said, extending her hoof to shake his claw. “And, um… wh-what exactly are you? If uh, that’s not... an offensive thing to ask,” she said nervously, taking a step back and averting her gaze.

“I’m a dragon!” Spike said, thrusting his arms against his sides with a proud grin. “Well, a baby dragon, but still a dragon!”

“A dragon?” Nighttide glanced curiously at Fluttershy. Before she could respond, Twilight appeared in the doorway.

“Hey you two!” Twilight said with a bright smile. “I’m glad you girls are here! I was just about to come get Nighttide.” She invited the two inside and offered them some refreshments, which they gratefully declined. As they were seated, Nighttide continued to watch the ‘dragon’ Spike as he walked around the library, picking up books to put back on the shelves.

When Twilight stepped away to grab herself some coffee, Nighttide redirected her attention to the rest of the room. It was magnificently crafted. Shelves carved through the trunk of the tree surrounded the circular living space, housing all sorts of books. A loft area sat visible just overhead acting as a second floor, and there was an opening on the far end of the room leading into a small kitchen. A couple windows had been built into the smooth walls of the tree’s trunk, allowing plenty of natural light inside.

“This is some sort of setup,” Nighttide remarked with an airy tone as she continued to examine her surroundings.

“Thanks,” Twilight replied as she stepped back into the room from the kitchen, floating a mug close to her muzzle. “This is the Golden Oak Library. Spike and I live here as well.”

“That’s what Fluttershy told me. But, may I ask why, exactly, you two live in a library?”

“Heh, well,” Twilight started as she placed her mug on an end table, “it wasn’t meant to be our permanent home at first. Princess Celestia originally sent me to Ponyville to organize the Summer Sun Celebration, but she gave me another assignment while here: to learn the magic of friendship.”

Nighttide blinked. “That’s a rather abstract assignment.”

“I thought so as well, but it turned out to be the greatest assignment ever,” Twilight said as she shot a smile to Fluttershy, who returned it in earnest. “I told the Princess that I wanted more time to study, and she told me that Spike and I could move here instead!”

“You said you were originally from Canterlot?”

“That’s correct.”

“So, what affiliation do you have with Princess Celestia?”

“Well…” Twilight considered how to answer her question as she organized a stack of books beside her desk. “First off, I’ve not always been a princess. When I was still a filly, my parents tried to enroll me in Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns, but when I took the entrance exam, I nearly failed it. If it hadn’t been for Rainbow Dash’s Sonic Rainboom, I probably would have.”

“Sonic Rainboom?” Nighttide’s eyes widened with curiosity.

“Yep, one of Rainbow Dash’s famous techniques!” Twilight glanced over at the mare and giggled. Spotting the mare’s interest, she grabbed a chair and proceeded to fill in Nighttide on some of the history of her life in Ponyville, and the affiliation her friends have with each other. After a while, Fluttershy told the two she was going to continue on with her errands, leaving Nighttide with Twilight and Spike.

Once Twilight had filled her in on various facts and events, Nighttide said, “Again, like I was telling Fluttershy earlier, this place is like a fairy-tale – literally, like a place right out of a book.”

“Well, I hope it’s a good place at least?” Twilight asked with an uncertain tone.

Nighttide nodded as she looked around the library once again. “I don’t know what to say. We have stories about places kind of like this in my homeland, usually in things we call ‘nursery rhymes,’ but no place like this actually exists.”

“Which reminds me, we need to figure out what exactly happened to you. Can you fill me in on some of the details?”

“Right.” Nighttide told her the basics of what had taken place, wanting to save the finer details for her visit with Princess Celestia. She also did her best to explain the terminology and acronyms she was using. Twilight was equal parts curious and concerned at Nighttide’s story, and she pressed the importance of getting Princess Celestia involved.

“That’s another thing, actually,” Nighttide mentioned. “Last night, I went on a little walk… I woke up from a bad dream.” She averted her gaze as she continued. “While I was walking, I ran into your Princess Luna.”

Twilight blinked hard. “Princess Luna? Here? In Ponyville?!”

“N-not exactly,” Nighttide said, lifting her hoof. “I was just a little way down the road from Fluttershy’s when I ran into her. Or rather, she ran into me.” She chuckled a little. “I was kind of staring aimlessly at the night sky when she ran into me.”

Twilight furrowed her brow. “What was she doing out there?”

“She said she was looking for me, actually. Apparently, your Princess of the Night has a thing for dreams, and she was in mine.” Nighttide still wasn’t sure how to feel about this, but there was definitely a calming presence to Princess Luna that she couldn’t deny. “Princess Celestia forwarded the information you gave her, and she wanted to come out to meet me while she had some free time.”

Nighttide gave her a brief synopsis of their meet, including some of her personal history just to get it out of the way. Twilight was becoming more fascinated with Nighttide as she continued to reveal more about herself, but she was still concerned about the predicament she was in.

“Well, I guess that explains how you got here… more or less,” Twilight commented as she rubbed a hoof across her chin. “What it doesn’t explain is how far your home is from here. I’ve heard stranger things, but this is still a pretty complex situation.”

“Agreed. And considering your land doesn’t seem to have the same kind of technology, I’m really not sure how I’m supposed to get back home. My warp drive only does half the job. A device has to actually open the portal for me to travel through – all the warp drive does is digitize my body’s information.”

“I have to admit that I’ve never heard of such devices in my lifetime – at least not ones that weren’t tied to magic of some sort.”

“And without the technology, I see no means of opening a stable portal that will let me return home.”

Twilight pursed her lips in thought a moment. “Say we were to find a way to open a portal. From the way you’ve explained it, it sounds like someone on the other end has to be ready to ‘receive’ you. Is that correct?”

“Yes,” Nighttide said with a nod, “a junction center or pylon has to be calibrated and waiting for a transmission. What I do know is that emergency protocols mandated that my starting point in Complex 051 be ready to receive transmissions on all bands from all angles in the event of an accident such as this one. Technically, if I try to return home, I should be able to jump back there. At least up to a certain point - they won’t keep the bands open for me forever.”

“Then it’s just a matter of figuring out a way to open this portal.” Twilight breathed a sigh as she mulled over the information.

The situation seemed all but impossible to Nighttide. While she had half of the necessary equipment and the knowledge of how to open a portal, without a device to actually open it, there seemed to be no way home. The two sat in silence for some time, trying to think of an idea.

Eventually, Twilight spoke up. “We’re just going to have to wait until we speak with the Princess. At this point, I don’t know of any books or spells that have to do with travel like the kind you’ve described. It would be one thing if it were magic-based, but considering this is something ‘technological,’ I’m not sure if we can use magic here. We also don’t know what sort of distance we’re looking at between your home and here. If we’ve never heard of Roanne and you’ve never heard of Equestria, let alone pegasi, unicorns, magic… then there is something very significant going on here. ” Twilight’s ears then suddenly shot up. “Wait a minute. Your... hologram, you called it?” Stepping up, she said, “Is there a way you could show me a map or a globe of your home?”

Nighttide subsequently perked up at the statement. “Of course! Duh, I can do that! Can’t believe I didn’t think to do that yesterday,” she said as she stood up and opened the compartment in her back.

After a moment of the hologram warming up, one separate two-dimensional image of a map and a three-dimensional image of a globe glowed green above Nighttide.

And it didn’t take but a few seconds for Twilight to become visibly alarmed. “Nighttide...” She stepped closer to the image and scrutinized it thoroughly, narrowing her eyes at all the fine details. “I... this isn’t...” Blinking, she drew a breath and stepped back, then met Nighttide’s gaze. “This is a different planet.”

Nighttide stared blankly at the alicorn for a moment, eyes slowly widening. “You... you’re sure?” She turned her head to the side as far as she could to gesture to the image above her. “You’re absolutely sure?”

Twilight nodded seriously. “100% certain.”

For a moment, Nighttide’s gaze drifted to the floor. The image remained humming aglow over her. “I... guess I shouldn’t be surprised, but...” Shutting the image off, she said, “When you put it into so many words, it’s... just...”

Twilight watched as Nighttide’s expression swayed between terror and confusion. After a few seconds, she stepped a little in front of Nighttide and tried to meet her gaze. “Hey. I know this is scary. It is, empirically. But...” She paused a moment to consider how to continue, then said, “Well, even I have to keep some things confidential, but I can say that far crazier things have happened in my own life, and here in Equestria just in general.” When she noticed Nighttide dare her a glance, she added, “I know I’m a stranger, but I’m a stranger who wants to help. I’ll do whatever I can to help you get home.” She gave her a gentle smile. “I promise.”

Nighttide studied her expression for a moment before her focus drifted again to the floor. This was a lot to take in, and yet, it was nothing beyond the bounds of reason from what she had already encountered in just the past twenty-four hours. For all she knew, perhaps this was all a crazy dream - a byproduct of warp-drive use. Or maybe, just maybe, this actually was all real. Whatever the case, unless she suddenly woke up to the cold grey walls of Ridley at some point, she would have to put in work to ever see home again.

And there was no denying that wherever ‘here’ was, it wasn’t so bad.

In time, Nighttide lifted her head and drew a couple deep breaths. She then met Twilight’s worried gaze and proffered a dry chuckle. “So, uh... that Princess of yours we’re seeing today. Think she can help?”

Twilight breathed a sigh of relief. “Well, that’s my hope. At least that she may have some answers for us. I’m fairly studied on matters pertaining to magic, but I would never claim to be an expert in many other subjects. She may be able to give us some insight, or at least offer some support.”

“Well, that’s fine by me, I guess. I’m basically at you and your ponies’ mercy at this point anyway.” Although the situation was still worrying, Nighttide smiled instinctively at the thought of being able to stay in Equestria for a while. It was a strange sensation, the thought of being impossibly removed from home, and yet to find yourself somewhere that feels more like what a home is supposed to be.

“It’s still a few hours ‘til we’re supposed to meet with the Princess,” Twilight continued. “Now that you’re feeling better, would you mind if I contact her and see if we can meet her in Canterlot instead? I’d prefer to not have her travel unnecessarily.”

Nighttide shrugged. “Sure, go for it.”

“Hey Spike, didja’ get that?”

“‘…can we visit there instead?’ Got it.” Spike dotted the note he was already writing, and with a puff of green fire, the note vaporized and travelled out a nearby window.

Nighttide blinked at the sight. “Magic, I assume?”

“Yup,” Twilight said.

“Figured.”

__________

Nighttide and Twilight chatted in the library for a while to waste some time. Twilight told her more about Equestria and some of its history, and Nighttide did the same in return for Roanne. The two were equally fascinated with each other’s lands, and the more they talked, the more absorbed they grew, helping to alleviate some of Nighttide’s anxiety.

“So,” Nighttide asked with a smirk at one point, “you ponies have these magical tattoos stamped to your butt that represent your destiny?”

Twilight giggled with a blush. “Well, we call them ‘cutie marks’, but… yes, more or less.”

“Wow, what a crazy world you live in,” Nighttide said with a chuckle.

“Hah, I can say the same about yours!” As the two began to wind down from their main conversation, Twilight brought up another subject. “Hey, Nighttide. Last night, when Fluttershy and I asked you about the whole ‘friendship’ thing…”

Nighttide had been leaning back in the sofa for the last few minutes, comfortable and enjoying the conversation they had been having. But at the sound of this, she sat upright and furrowed her brow. “Right, about that… So, I mentioned yesterday that I’ve been stuck in one place for a couple years now. ‘Friends,’ if you can call them that - more like brief acquaintances - come and go about as quickly as commands do. With assignments and reassignments, some of us are relocated, while others move up this sort of ‘ladder’ of importance. Because of that, some ponies get jealous, while others just become afraid.”

Twilight tilted her head a little. “Have you ever had a friend of your own?”

“I have, sure. But… not like the kinds you have. It’s more or less been fillies and colts with similar interests – and similar frustrations. A lot of us don’t like being cooped up in one place all the time.”

“Who would?” Twilight rubbed her temples as she pictured what life must have been like for Nighttide. “I could never imagine being stuck here in the library, even if it does have books.”

“Exactly! So like, DIRE has its benefits – and technically, I owe them my life – but I wanted to be able to explore the world when I was younger. And, yeah, maybe I couldn’t have made a career out of just that, but I at least wanted to spread my wings somehow.” Nighttide looked down at her bare sides and thought of the pegasi and alicorns she had met. “Figuratively speaking, of course.”

Twilight chuckled. “Of course.”

“I can’t tell you how neat it’s been to have this experience, Twilight. I’m well aware of the responsibilities I have at home, and I’m not saying that I don’t want to go home. But…” She paused.

“Yes?” Twilight leaned forward a little.

“…I certainly wouldn’t mind getting to know you all a little better.”

Twilight smiled. “I think everyone feels the same way about you, Nighttide.”

Nighttide returned the smile. “Maybe it’s my turn to learn something about friendship.”

Twilight grinned with perked ears. “You know, that doesn’t sound like such a bad idea.” Off in a corner, Spike pointed his claw down his throat and rolled his eyes. Catching him out of her periphery, Twilight used her magic to toss a pillow at him, forcing him to scamper into the kitchen. Nighttide giggled at the scene.

“Well, whatever happens next, I’m glad to have met you, Twilight. And Fluttershy. And everypony else.”

“And we’re glad to have met you as well.” Twilight walked over to the sofa and gave Nighttide a light hug. Not quite sure how to react, she tensed up for a second, then let her body relax as she slid into her embrace.

‘I really could get used to this after all,’ Nighttide thought gleefully to herself.

__________

Not long afterward, Twilight – with Spike on her back – led Nighttide to the train station where they would depart for Canterlot.

“Hey! A machine!” Nighttide trotted in place on the platform with a grin as she watched a train approach from the distance.

“Uhm, yes,” Twilight remarked as Spike slid off her back onto the ground. “This is what we call a train.”

“So. Cool. Haha!” Nighttide burst with excitement as the train pulled into the station, plumes of smoke pouring out its top stack as steam churned out near the wheels. The whole contraption was a bit noisy, and it reminded Nighttide a little of home. “Y’know…” Nighttide looked back at Twilight. “As much as I don’t like a lot of stuff back home, it’s kind of cool to see something actually make some noise around here.”

Twilight raised an eyebrow and looked at Spike. They shared a shrug.

As the train finished pulling into the station, passengers began to disembark and fill the platform. Nighttide watched as the passing ponies carried their luggage in all manner of ways – some on their backs, some with magic, and others with more familiar devices such as rolling luggage. Nighttide was also curious to see the different types of cutie marks there were in this world. She craned her neck to and fro, trying to get a good look at each one and record the information. A couple ponies noticed her odd appearance and wild glances, trying to steer as far away as possible.

“Well, this is our ride,” Twilight called out to Nighttide. “Better get a good seat while we can!”

“Uh-huh,” Nighttide mumbled as she watched a most fascinating cutie mark walk by – a baby pony with a bow and arrow. ’What in the world is—’

“C’mon, you,” Twilight giggled as she nudged Nighttide in passing to follow her to their car. A few minutes passed as passengers vacated and refilled the car. Not wanting to cause a scene, Twilight asked Nighttide to at least be a little more careful when examining cutie marks.

Nighttide scrunched her muzzle. “You know, for a race of ponies that have these permanent images emblazoned on your flanks, you guys seem a bit touchy about them.”

Twilight laughed. “No, not exactly. We just don’t often meet someone who’s never seen a cutie mark before. So we don’t get a lot of wild eyes checking us out.”

“Guess that makes sense,” Nighttide said as she eyed one last cutie mark sitting down across from their set of seats: a ladder and hose. ‘Firefighter, perhaps?’

After a while, the train departed the station, and they were on their way to Canterlot. Nighttide watched out the window at the passing landscape, letting her system passively record the details. She was entranced by the landscape – the vivid colors of passing trees, fresh with the new life of spring, contrasted beautifully with the blue of the sky and the deep greys of distance mountains, highlighted every so often by a river or two. As she looked up at a few distant puffs of clouds, she noticed a thick group clustered together not so far from where they were. She used her optical sensors to zoom in on the unusually dense cloud.

Suddenly — “TWILIGHT LOOK, A THING IN THE SKY!” Nighttide frantically pointed out the window to what appeared to be a flying fortress of… ‘Clouds?!’

Startled at her outburst, Twilight looked out the window to see what she was pointing at. She could barely contain herself. “Y-yes, Nighttide,” she stammered with a quivering voice. Spike was already in tears with laughter. “Th… that would be Cloudsdale.” She did her best to keep from laughing too.

“A flying city?” Nighttide asked with as much enthusiasm as a filly discovering something for the first time.

“A floating city, yes. That’s where Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy are from.”

Nighttide spun around. “So you mean to tell me pegasi come from a floating city in the sky?”

“Well, not all pegasi. Many live there, yes, but some live on the ground as well – like Fluttershy.”

“Huh!” As Nighttide went back to staring at the sight, her systems did all they could to examine the city from a distance, determining height, width, possible population, good places to build weapons, etcetera.

As the train continued onward to Canterlot, a porter brought them some drinks. Nighttide found herself a little more famished than she thought and asked Twilight if they would have a chance to eat after meeting with Princess Celestia.

“Of course! There’s a lot of good places in Canterlot. If you want, I can give you a quick tour of the city?”

“Is it a city in the sky?” Nighttide asked with ever so much hope.

“No,” Twilight said flatly. Spike was still broken up over Nighttide’s fascination. “But it is built near the side of a cliff.”

“That’s cool too,” she said as she took a drink of water.

In time, the train pulled into Canterlot Station, and Twilight, Spike, and Nighttide walked onto the platform. “This is definitely a change,” Nighttide remarked with surprise. From humble cottages to extravagant venues, Canterlot exhibited far more regalia than did Ponyville. “I can see why the Princesses would live here.”

The three walked down the street toward the castle in relative silence. Nighttide continued recording information and glancing at every other pony. She simply couldn’t figure out some ponies’ cutie marks, while others seemed to make perfect sense. Not wanting to embarrass Twilight, she returned her attention forward and noticed the looming castle overhead. “So this is where the Princesses live?”

“Yup, this is the royal castle!” Twilight picked up Spike and walked ahead a little toward some guards blocking the entrance. She informed them of their plans and brought Nighttide to the front as a guest. The guards allowed them inside after looking over Nighttide’s frame.

“Do your guards have the ability to scan things to a system as well?” Nighttide asked as she followed behind Twilight.

“What do you mean?” Twilight glanced back.

“They were looking awfully hard at my flank.”

“Oh,” Twilight said as she turned forward again. “Remember, you don’t exactly have a cutie mark. While you do have those domes on your flank, they’re unlike anything anypony here has probably seen before.” Twilight blinked. “Now that I think about it, what are those—”

“Hah,” Nighttide shouted to the front. “See? It’s not that strange to stare at a pony’s flank after all!”

Twilight rolled her eyes while Spike stifled a giggle. Before long, they entered the main hall and found Princess Celestia waiting for them. “Princess Celestia,” Twilight called out gleefully as she sat Spike on the ground and galloped toward her.

“Twilight Sparkle, how are you!” Princess Celestia leaned down to nuzzle Twilight as she ran up toward her.

“Princess, this is the new pony I was telling you about in my letter: Nighttide Star.” Twilight turned around to suggest toward the grey mare.

Nighttide stepped up and blinked - hard. Standing before her was an elegantly fashioned alicorn, as Twilight had educated her on only hours earlier, who all but dwarfed her and Twilight in terms of height. While her size could have easily been intimidating, her appearance was warm and inviting. Her mane and tail flowed in a similar fashion to Princess Luna’s, but were colored far more brightly.

Nighttide gave a bow. “Your highness, thank you for this counsel,” she spoke with a sudden elegant flair. “It is an honor and privilege to meet with you this day.”

Princess Celestia smiled and raised a hoof. “No need for formalities, my little pony. It’s a pleasure to meet you as well.” Twilight stepped aside as the Princess leaned down toward Nighttide to meet her gaze. “I hear that you’re new to the land of Equestria?”

“Yes ma’am,” Nighttide said as she stood upright. “I’m from a land called Roanne and am affiliated with a corporation that is contracted by its government - the Daedalus Institute for Research and Exploration, or DIRE.”

“Twilight shared some of the details in her letter, but I would love to hear more about you from yourself.”

For the umpteenth time, Nighttide sat down to explain the basics of her land and a little about her personal history. After that was out of the way, Princess Celestia inquired about her predicament. “I was just talking with Twilight about that earlier,” Nighttide said. “It’s a bit complicated, and I haven’t even filled her in completely yet. The best that I can explain it is we were performing an experiment on faster-than-light travel using digital transmissions. I was stationed in Complex 051 at DIRE’s Ridley facility, where they opened the portal for me to travel through. In that same instance, my warp drive broke my body down to transmit to the other end of the portal at Pylon Two’s station, where I was supposed to rematerialize. All I know from there is I woke up in a small clearing just outside of Ponyville.”

The Princess showed clear concern in her expression. “If I understand correctly, this ‘warp drive’ you speak of is still functioning?”

“That’s correct.”

“So what you need is for someone, or something, to open a portal for you to travel through.”

“Right, which is the problem I’m now facing.”

Princess Celestia looked over at Twilight. “I assume your studies have revealed no helpful information?”

“Not yet. All I was able to do was learn a spell to help fix her leg last night; that’s about it. All this stuff about ‘warps’ and ‘jumps’ is still new to me.”

“I see,” the Princess replied calmly. “Nighttide Star—”

“Y-you can just call me Nighttide, ma’am,” she said softly beneath the alicorn’s presence.

The Princess smiled down at her. “Nighttide. While I am not certain how we can help at this moment, I believe that in time, with the help of others, we can work together to find a solution.”

Nighttide’s ears drooped a little at the statement, but Twilight nodded and hummed in approval from the corner. “I’m still studying all the books I can to try to figure out a way to help. Now that we have a better idea of what’s going on, I think I know how to narrow my research.”

Nighttide glanced over. ‘Was that why Twilight was up so late last night?’ she wondered.

“Princess,” Twilight continued, “may I make use of the library in your old castle again?”

“Of course, Twilight. Feel free to use it as often as you’d like!”

Twilight smiled like a little filly. Running a fetlock through the back of her mane, Nighttide looked up at the Princess and said, “Uhm… Princess? Can I ask a question?”

“Why, of course!”

Nighttide looked away briefly and stammered, “This isn’t anything related to me, but... do you… really raise the sun? All by yourself?”

Princess Celestia smiled and nodded. “That is part of my duty.”

“Wow,” Nighttide breathed. “It seems like that should be impossible, but... with everything I’ve seen so far, I could believe it.” Nighttide marveled at the thought as she looked over at the light pouring in through a nearby stained glass window. “By the way, this is a very beautiful castle you have.” She examined the murals of the glass more closely and noticed a familiar set of silhouettes. “Twilight… Is that you and your friends?” She looked up at a group of ponies who appeared to be using magic on a familiar looking alicorn.

Twilight trotted over. “Yes, it is. That’s when my friends and I used the Elements of Harmony to turn Nightmare Moon back into Princess Luna.”

‘Twilight was involved in that? And…’ “The Elements of Harmony?” Nighttide asked.

Twilight gave her a basic breakdown of the Elements’ use and their history. Increasingly fascinated by the various applications of magic, Nighttide then thought of something a little concerning. She turned back to Princess Celestia. “I should let you know that much of the information I gather here – the things I see and hear in this land – are being recorded to a database within me that can be freely shared and accessed by my government. More than likely, it will carry over in the event I make it back home. Will that be acceptable?”

Princess Celestia looked at Twilight to gauge her expression, which appeared to be neutral, then looked back at Nighttide. “I want you to do what feels right to you. It would seem you have an honest heart with much loyalty to your home, not unlike some ponies we know.” She winked at Twilight. “But you also seem to be a bit troubled by the differences between your home and this land.”

“I would be lying if I didn’t say my home feels like pure evil in comparison to yours,” Nighttide replied with more than just an ounce of worry in her voice.

Princess Celestia’s expression softened. “Well, for now, you have our trust – and I believe you have the trust of a few other ponies as well.” She stood upright to look squarely at Twilight. “I apologize Twilight that I couldn’t be of more help, but while you are no longer my formal student, I would like to ask that you do all you can to aid Nighttide on her quest home.”

“You can count on me,” Twilight cheerily replied.

The Princess smiled and looked down at Nighttide one last time. “I should inform you that Equestria is not a perfect land either. There are still many places filled with dangers and mysteries undiscovered. I would ask that you be careful as you embark on your journey.”

Nighttide looked up into the eyes of the Princess. That a royal figure could have so much care and compassion for one of her ponies, let alone an unwitting visitor, warmed her heart in a very profound way. She could tell the Princess was truly concerned for her well-being. “Y-yes ma’am, and thank you. I will be sure to take care of myself throughout the course of events.”

“That’s what I was hoping to hear,” the Princess closed. “Twilight, please update me if any important events arise. I will let you know if I find any information that may be of help.”

“Will do,” Twilight called back as she placed Spike on her back. Nighttide gave the Princess another bow, and the two made their way back to foyer.

__________

With the royal visit finished, the three exited back onto the main street. As Twilight gave her a quick tour of the city, Nighttide’s stomach began to growl, echoing through the suit. She glanced over at Twilight with a guilty expression.

Twilight smirked back. “Don’t worry, we’re going to take care of that now. How do you feel about muffins?”

Nighttide let out a relieved sigh. “Oh good, those are here too.”

The two walked into a coffee shop at the corner of an intersection not far from the train station. Twilight bought each of them muffins and asked for them to go. “I don’t want us to miss the train back home, so we’ll just grab these to go and eat them on the train.” She tipped the clerk a couple bits and handed the bags off to Spike as they walked back outside.

Sure enough, the train had already pulled up to the platform, ready to disembark. The three loaded up into one of the cars, and the moment Nighttide sat down, she began devouring her muffin. As Twilight and Spike took a seat across from her, Twilight looked at Nighttide curiously. “Come to think of it, what do ponies eat in your homeland?”

Paying no mind to manners, Nighttide responded with a half-full mouth. “Stuff ‘n junk.” Twilight glared at Nighttide, waiting for a real response. “Oh, uhm,” Nighttide gulped her food. “Well, obviously we have the staple food, hay, although it’s collected by machines called tractors and processed by factories called mills, which can also turn it into grain and flour. Then of course, we have some of your food items, like muffins, cupcakes, and other sweet things.”

“You keep mentioning these ‘machines’ from time to time. We have a few things like them here as well, but some of yours sound unique. What exactly are they?”

Nighttide scrunched her muzzle in thought. “Well, we have a bunch of different kinds. Some machines do rudimentary work, like collecting hay and processing it, along with making other food items. Some do construction work, like laying brick and mortar, rebar, things like that. There’s even machines that let us fly – I was telling Fluttershy about those just this morning.”

“Machines that fly? You mean, like balloons?”

“Some, yes, but far bigger than the kind Pinkie brought over. They’re very large – some almost the size of a small town.” Nighttide then explained some more of the flying machines they had as she did with Fluttershy, then caught a glimpse of Cloudsdale again outside the window.

“Now I have a question for you.” Turning to Twilight, she asked, “The wings you pegasi and alicorns have. Do they ever get tired?”

“Well, they’re not ‘machines’ like what you’ve described. They’re a natural part of our bodies and use muscles, just like other parts do.”

Nighttide quickly glanced around the car, then lowered her head and whispered, “I know this may sound a little weird, but… would you mind spreading your wings out, even just a little, so I can scan them?”

Twilight reared her head back slightly in surprise. Looking beside her, it was clear Spike’s fondness of Nighttide’s curiosity had been successfully diverted to the food in front of him, so with a quick glance over at the neighboring seats and not seeing any occupants, Twilight hung her head and averted her gaze as she spread her wings against the back of the seat. She listened as Nighttide’s suit quietly whirred and clicked from within. After a few seconds, Nighttide nodded for her to collapse them again.

Twilight’s curiosity now began to blend a little with unease. “Nighttide, you do a lot of this ‘scanning’ stuff. How exactly do you record information?”

“Well,” she said before swallowing the last bit of her food, “I have a bunch of sensors built into me. Some are behind my eyes, some are all around my suit. They can read things like infrared signals – the concentration of heat in a body of space – x-rays, which allow me to see through some materials like hollow walls or an equine’s coat—”

“Coat?” Twilight spat. “You mean you can see inside ponies?”

“Well, only certain parts, like bones and cartilage. But it’s useful to see if someone is carrying a solid object like metal. Since I’m military-spec, I have to be ready for the unexpected, so having this ability allows me to see if someone is carrying a weapon inside, let’s say, a jacket or saddlebag.”

“Hospitals have equipment like that, but I’ve never heard of a pony being able to do it all by themselves…” Twilight’s fascination continued to grow. “So, are these sensors just used for military reasons then?”

“That’s what they were designed for.” Nighttide smirked. “But I love learning about new things, and they don’t put a restraint on the stuff I scan, so I like to research ‘on-the-go.’ Not a lot of new stuff to research in the Ridley facility, though.” Nighttide looked a little disgruntled as she returned her gaze out the window.

Twilight enjoyed being in the company of somepony who shared her enthusiasm for learning. But there was something that seemed to pull at Nighttide’s nerves each time she explained an element of her personal history. Twilight cleared her throat and made an attempt to prod her. “You know, whenever you mention something about home, you sometimes look like you’re upset. Is there anything that…” She struggled to formulate an appropriate question for a few moments.

Nighttide continued to look out the window when she responded. “I owe DIRE my life, like I mentioned. And yet… I feel as if they owe me a life as well.”

Twilight tilted her head slightly. “How’s that?”

“You know how I said I’ve been stuck at Ridley for the past couple years?” Twilight nodded. “That’s what I mean. For two whole years, I’ve been stuck in a two-kilometer-by-two-kilometer section of the city.” Nighttide hoofed at the cushion of her seat. “I’ve read a lot about the world out there, and I have even more knowledge tucked away in my systems that I haven’t read yet. But it means little when the only opportunity I’ll have for the foreseeable future to see the world is through military operations.”

Nighttide went silent for a few seconds, allowing Twilight time to interject. “How often is your world in a state of war?”

“Depends on what country you’re talking about. Right now, Roanne is the big wig. It controls over eighty percent of the habitable regions of our continent and is looking to bring the rest, as well as all the outlying island countries, under its umbrella. And we’ve been off-and-on again at war for the past hundred moons.”

“What are your wars like, if I may ask?”

“Some early ones were pretty boring, just political issues. They would throw a title on a series of disputes between other countries or internal factions and call it ‘such and such war.’ But more of the recent ones have been bloody. Take for example the one that started when the Ferin Sha was lost, the Kidesh War. The Kidesh Union figured they had done in Roanne, but just because they sank a portion of our industry didn’t mean our whole infrastructure was brought down. For the first few years I was in DIRE, Roanne unleashed an onslaught against the Kidesh Union’s invading force on the ‘new’ west coast that had formed along our continent.” Nighttide paused. “They say a lot of the skirmishes took place on the overturned portion of the Ferin Sha, not far from where I was born. Thousands were killed on both sides.”

Twilight’s ears fell flat, grimacing at the thought. “Such horrible things to go through.”

Nighttide shrugged. “These days, it’s not like how it used to be, where ponies would stand blindly behind their countries back, supporting them in whatever endeavors the government chose. Now, we have a lot of internal turmoil – ponies saying we need to stop trying to monopolize the globe, and others who want to divide the democracy up into sections specific to territories. They see something wrong with the system, most of all the killing that’s taking place. The problem is, while you get a lot of voices shouting and ponies rallying support through the media, there’s not a lot of positive affect to the government. Things pretty much stay the same, no matter how loud anypony’s voice gets.”

Twilight pondered all the nuances of the government issues Nighttide described, wondering if Equestria had ever gone through such division. “It’s fascinating to think about a land not being ruled by a single government, like Equestria – and to think that wanting to unite everyone together would be such a… deadly process.” She shivered at the thought.

“Some ponies have good intentions,” Nighttide said, “but seek to accomplish them through questionable – or just flat-out bad – means. But, that’s kind of a ‘big duh’ statement where I come from. Everyone gets what’s going on, and everyone wants to do this or that to change things for the better. But there’s simply too much chaos and confusion. The unity that Roanne supposedly wants to accomplish is thwarted by the very things which they’re trying to unite: ponies. Both the ponies in the government, and the ones who live under it.”

Nighttide contemplated her next statement. With a resolute sigh, she said, “We’re flawed beings, Twilight. No matter how badly we try to seek peace and happiness with everypony, we always hurt each other in the end.”

After finishing his food, Spike decided to take a nap next to Twilight. Twilight wrapped a wing around his back and pulled him close as she looked out the window. “Well, even though our land isn’t perfect, I must admit, this gives me a new perspective on Equestria.” She paused to contemplate what life would be like in a war against other ponies. “We’re really lucky to have the Princesses around.”

Nighttide nodded. “Your ponies seem to lack one fundamental flaw that my ponies have: malice.”

Twilight looked at Nighttide with a stern expression and shook her head. “That’s not true. Even us Equestrians sometimes wish to hurt one-another. The difference is how far we carry out our malice, and how soon we quell it.”

Nighttide thought about her statement for a moment before replying. “Some of the ponies from my land think we would be better off if we didn’t have all the weapons we do to hurt each other. But somehow, I could picture us still fighting each other even if left with just our hooves… As much as people like to preach about ‘love,’ it seems to be all words and no solutions.”

Twilight wanted to say more, but couldn’t think of the right words. They continued the rest of the trip in relative silence as Spike snoozed away.

Just before reaching the Ponyville station, Nighttide smiled down at Spike. “A baby dragon, huh? For such a tiny thing, he seems pretty smart – taking your letters and all.”

“Spike’s the best assistant I could ever ask for,” Twilight said as she gently pet Spike’s back with her wing.

“He seems so innocent.”

“Well, you’ll just have to see him when he’s out playing, or has a mirror put in front of him. Just make sure to never give him a bucket full of gems.” Twilight let out a soft chuckle.

Uncertain of what she meant, Nighttide continued anyway. “You know, it’s crazy to see such... I dunno, purity? in real life. To me at least.” She broke off for a second. “I-I mean, I get it, Equestria’s not perfect and everything - I know what you and Princess Celestia said. I just mean…” She looked down at Spike again. “It feels alien.” Furrowing her brow, she added, “Yet it feels like the way things should be.”

Twilight smiled softly, a little surprised. “Well, I promise you that he’s not always as cute as this.” Spike let out a soft groan as he nuzzled into Twilight’s side.

“Chyea,” Nighttide chuckled, “I hear mothers say that about their kids, too.” Nighttide’s gaze drifted as she said, “Still. It’s just neat to see in person. I can’t think of the last time I saw anyone so content.”

Twilight’s ears drooped. “What a sad way to think of it,” she mused aloud.

And with that, the train slowed to a halt. As passengers began departing, Twilight nudged Spike back to waking and placed him on her back. Nighttide followed behind Twilight as she thought over the conversation they had just had.

‘What am I going to do with myself if I ever get home?’ She wondered.

Comments

[Madness18]

Ok Homeworld 1 and 2 references in this story nice

[krazykidfannumber2]

So, will Luna be able to enter Nighttide's dreams or will that stupid computer interrupt and wake Nighttide up every time Luna tries?

[Dive Bomb]

5827556 ????? what

[Madness18]

6883100

“Well… I was born to a family in the suburbs of Hiigara, 12th District, in the westernmost land of Tycho Brahe. It's located at the foot of a small mountain range called the Ferin Sha that borders the west coast of the continent. Or, it was… at one point.”

Hiigara is a planet in the Homeworld 1&2 lore http://homeworld.wikia.com/wiki/Hiigara
aswell is Ferin Sha that was a location in homeworld http://homeworld.wikia.com/wiki/Ferin_Sha
with the mantion of balcora sume were in the story text http://homeworld.wikia.com/wiki/Balcora

And i have playd all of the homeworld games so i liket that he/she use references from the game or atlest the names from it

[hmaf43]

Blasting those warmonger leaderships with rainbow laser is an option.