My Little Pony: StarBlaze

by BlackWater

Falling

Crack!

The stalk of some unknown plant snapped beneath Synch’s hoof. Damage was irrelevant, however, as the plant would just spring forth again with a replacement stalk in a few short days. Synch had no way of knowing this and, in fact, did not care.

It had been a full day since they had arrived on the colony planet and he was already at work and, unfortunately, he was within one of the greenhouse domes. It was every bit as crowded and humid as he expected it to be even though the ponies in charge of the plants didn't seem to notice.

The air felt like a wet blanket and the density of the humidity made him feel like he had the pony flu. He even came to think that having the flu was, in fact, better than the grueling work within the domes. It may have been true that he was to setup a variety of networked control terminals for greenhouse control, but he had anticipated more software than hardware setup. Essentially, he thought he would just be inputting commands from an air conditioned room rather than braving jungles to identify an inoperable sensor.

Weighing the work against the pay, he started to think he might even have been scammed. However, he shoved that notion aside because the pay was in addition to food and housing, as provided by the employer. And speaking of the employer, he thought, I've never seen any name attached to this place. It was always the "project" or the "boss." Exactly who was running all of this?

The previous day, Lifeline, Nebula Swirl, and Synch, had ventured to the living quarters and the control complex. The quarters were a simple series of cottages that blended in well with the surrounding vegetation. They nearly made the town seem elegant in design. To Synch, “nearly” was not “exactly” though. His room was by no means a palace but it was close to his own home he had in Fillydelphia and he silently wondered if the same architects were involved.

The control complex might be described as a wide tower. It had more rooms and hallways than Synch cared to remember and Lifeline had led them up to the third floor only to find the “boss” absent. The seagreen Earth pony had intended for Synch to meet his employer and ask any questions but the assistant on duty had reported that the employer was away at the time and would be available again the following day.

Well, that day was now. Synch didn’t know whether he wanted to fix the sensor and be out of the greenhouse or get called out prematurely to meet the head pony of the project. As he mistakenly crushed another plant stalk under hoof, he decided he wanted to fix the sensor and be permanently removed from the cursed jungle. The stalks had an almost squishy crunch to them, if that were at all possible. He found it revolting.

Finally scrambling his way to the sensor node, he found the cable detached from the unit. He couldn’t help but bring his hoof to his forehead. There was little excuse on part of the hardware team for him to be on wild expeditions through jungles just to plug something in. Perhaps they didn’t value his time or abilities as much as he did. Not that I’m being egotistical about it, he thought.

With a click, the sensor was back online. As a side thought, Synch figured the project budget must have been pretty tight for them to be using wired sensors. In fact, there were a variety of things he had noticed as being decidedly “low-tech.” That only furthered his suspicion about the high-class shuttle they had traveled in.

With a few more cracks from the plants he was forced to push through, he made his way back to the greenhouse entrance. The current one he was in was named House 35 so he hoped that the other greenhouses didn’t start having any problems. He wasn’t sure he could physically handle more than a dozen trips through the greenhouse environments. They were, after all, quite large.

The greenhouse had a double set of doors much like an airlock to scale back on unwanted climate exchanges to and from the interior. Just as Synch was about to open the inner exit door, it swung open. The unicorn recognized the face from the previous day as the guard pony Hyperbeat but didn’t actually remember the name.

“Oh good! I thought I might have to search another House for you!” the guard pony exclaimed brightly. “Lifeline told me to find you and direct you to Control. He doesn’t usually ask for stuff so I figure it’s from the top. You’d better get over there fast.”

“Ah,” was all that Synch responded with as he followed Hyperbeat through the exit. However, the guard left for his rounds after they were out of the House and Synch headed the opposite direction to the control complex. He only thought to pick up his pace, as Hyperbeat mentioned, after he was halfway there. He couldn’t imagine what would be so important that Lifeline would have somepony fetch him. If it was to meet the boss then Synch might still consider it not urgent enough. As it turned out, it was to talk with the boss.

He got to the complex entrance and Lifeline waved his hoof frantically from the propped open door. “Hurry! We don’t have much time,” the Earth pony urged as Synch followed him in.

“Where’s the fire?” Synch asked somewhat agitated.

“The boss is leaving. Permanently. I don’t know why but he’s handing the project to somepony else. I want to ask him before he takes off but I figured you would want to ask a few questions yourself. Besides that, we need you to setup some equipment with us when we transport it over to the Serenity Houses - they’re in a valley some distance from here.”

Synch tried to take in everything that Lifeline was going on about but he stopped with the part about his superior. Will I ever figure out what exactly is going on around here, he thought. It was only a brief moment before they were in the upper control room again and he was very surprised this time around to see how much commotion was under way. Ponies were rapidly moving from one side of the room to the other while others entered and left just as fast. Papers were flying and screens were flashing data faster than should have been readable.

The most surprising sight however, was the pony in the center of the room. It was a full grown alicorn with wings that somewhat bulged from his body, alluding to an unusually wide wingspan. Of course, Synch had heard many of the baseless rumors about alicorns and how horns or wings never stopped growing. They could get very large or long with age but those “facts” were never in any books and Synch figured they were no more than the rumors they were.

The alicorn did, however, tower over the other ponies in the room. When Lifeline nudged through the crowd and led Synch to the large-winged pony, the unicorn could only conclude that this was the boss. At first, it did not seem the alicorn would notice them but he finally turned to face them before Lifeline tried to get his attention.

“Life,” he spoke in a smooth voice. It was not gruff or old but it still powered over the ruckus of the control room while carrying unwavering authority. The alicorn’s age was anypony’s guess. “Is this the unicorn you spoke of?”

“Yeah. This is Synch and he’s already been hard at work on those Houses. In fact, he’s going to help us out with the new ones in a bit. But anyways, we need to ask a few things,” Lifeline began.

“Ask away. My shuttle won’t be here until tomorrow if you’re worried about it...” the alicorn seemed to have the perfect understanding of Lifeline’s nervousness. Then again, they might have just spoken together enough that it was business as usual between the two.

“Oh...that helps...I guess. But why are you leaving?” Lifeline asked.

A sullen look flashed through the alicorn’s eyes but it was gone just as fast. “Something personal came up. In any case, this project will be just fine without me. I was meaning to pass it back over to the founder anyways. She has much more of a personal interest in making this work and, if you recall, making your project work.”

Now that was definitely weird. Lifeline had some project of his own? The Earth pony cringed when it was mentioned.

“Isn’t it a bit dangerous to have her back in the spotlight?” Lifeline countered. Apparently he was perfectly okay with leaving Synch in the dark this time while he carried on his own conversation with the boss.

“Dangerous? You mean politically? Who do you think we’re talking about? She doesn’t care about that kind of stuff. In fact, she would probably cause a stir just to get things moving. Putting that aside, I don’t see how even the top position in New Ponyville is anywhere near the spotlight.”

The alicorn was not at all like the stereotype portrayed in Canterlot and even old Ponyville. They were often thought of as old fashioned and even uptight, but this one was changing his attitude based on the conversation. What started out as an authoritative voice had begun softening into the casual tone typical of close friends. It was likely that this particularly alicorn had learned to adjust his disposition to fit both the era and mood.

“Excuse me,” Synch braved a cut in. “what are you two talking about?”

“My apologies,” the alicorn responded quicker than Lifeline. “I’ve been the project leader for quite some time now but I was not the one who started this initiative. I was assigned as lead when the project founder wanted to step back to handle some different initiative. Personally, I think she’s taking on more than she should but that’s always how she’s always been, I guess.”

Lifeline added in, “Her current work is just as - no, more - important than this environmental stuff. I admit we need the plant work but that’s not the core problem.”

The boss looked back over to Lifeline with a slightly quizzical look that indicated he was surprised that Lifeline had said that. Perhaps it was because of how the Earth pony had looked uncomfortable earlier when his own project was mentioned. Obviously, the work he had was not exactly what he had let the others in on.

“Who’s ‘her’?” Synch frustratingly asked.

The alicorn smiled. “My whole life I’ve only ever met one alicorn that would try either of the projects that she started.”

Lifeline cut in again, as he was set on being the one to fill Synch in. “Her name is Celestia.”

· · · · ·

Synch had heard of Princess Celestia before but had never seen her. She had left Canterlot long before he was born and was rumored to be somewhere in space along the exploration lines. From what he had heard, she had left with one of the first interstellar exploration waves. Some of the more negative rumors had predicted that she abandoned the old Equestria for its lack of interest. Synch could believe that if she was really as old as she was supposed to be. He hardly thought that anything could remain interesting for thousands of years.

Besides his thoughts on the Princess, he still had those nagging questions about the shuttle and Lifeline’s...deception. His anger was flaring again and he started to think of the whole ordeal as cloak and dagger, so to speak. With that, he ventured his question to the boss alicorn while cutting Lifeline off from something he was about to say.

“That’s curious. Maybe that helps explain why we arrived first class when the rest of this colony looks like it’s taking the scraps from some backroom government budget.”

The alicorn laughed heartily. “That’s a very colorful way of putting it. At least I won’t have to deal with it anymore.”

Lifeline gave a scornful look, “I didn’t know the shuttle would bother you that much.”

“It doesn’t make sense, Lifeline. Just like how you keep tiptoeing around something - I don’t know what. You’re being dishonest with me.”

The boss looked between the two with a curiosity that he hadn’t felt since Celestia had approached him about her projects.

Lifeline sighed. “Well, we’re obviously not going to get anywhere at this rate. Let’s just go to Celestia and clear all of this up.”

“Thank you!” Synch exclaimed a bit too loudly. Some of the frantically working ponies in the room stopped what they were doing to look over at him. It made him go from feeling exasperated to feeling sheepish in a shear second.

“Well then. She was in the East observatory last I checked. You’ll need to get the new equipment over to the Serenity Houses before sunset so don’t take too long. Lifeline, Synch, I’ll talk to you both later.”

That seemed to be their que to leave and Lifeline led Synch back out of the complex as they began making their way to the observatory. They spoke little as Lifeline said it would be best for Celestia to explain what Synch wanted to know. Thankfully it was only about ten minutes of walking before they arrived at the observatory. The stairway up to the viewing platform was a tad long but they made it to the top before Synch lost his breath. As it turned out, the ‘boss’ was right as Princess Celestia was there. She was looking out to the East mountain range and had apparently noticed their arrival even though her back was facing them.

“Welcome back, Lifeline...” her voice whispered out with an exhausted tone. “What have you found?” Her back was still to them as she continued gazing into the distance.

Synch remained silent as Lifeline continued walking to the Princess and responded. “It’s frustratingly difficult and I don’t know if I’ve really gotten anywhere. What you said about your previous student makes me wonder if we’re living in an entirely different universe.”

Finally the white alicorn turned around to face the two stallions. “I was afraid of that...I’ve been trying to bring friendship back to light for literally hundreds of years now, but it’s easier to raise the sun every morning. You’re Synch?” she asked.

Knowing that he was now being addressed he responded, void of any formality that other ponies might have used, “Yeah.”

“I don’t sense much trust in you. The Equestria you have lived in has ruined your hope of friendship. For that I am sorry.”

Her words were so direct...so sad...and so stinging. Was Synch really so incapable of trust? Nopony - even Lifeline - gave him any reason to trust. Surely he had no hope of friendship, as even the Princess seemed to have no clue as to where it was. Her voice was so...so weary.

“However,” she continued. “I am not sorry for what I have had Lifeline doing. I knew I had to try something even if I doubted it would work. Do you know what Lifeline’s cutie mark is for, Synch?”

“Something about growing the plants, right?”

Lifeline looked down almost ashamed. The Princess explained, “I told him to keep it a secret until later. Now that time has come - far sooner than I had hoped since things have not gone so well...”

Well, that explained part of the feeling of dishonesty that Synch had been feeling from the Earth pony. But what would that spiky line of a cutie mark stand for?

“You might recognize the symbol as something like an electrocardiograph. It symbolizes a pony’s life beat,” she continued explaining in her tranquil but tired voice. “Everypony’s life is dependant on more than a simple heartbeat though. There is something else crucial to life. Do you know what that is?”

Lifeline remained silent, content with the Princess speaking with Synch. However, the unicorn only shook his head, as he only had a vague suspicion as to what she would say.

“It’s love,” she paused, letting the word sink into the deep green unicorn. “I don’t mean romantic love. Everypony in this age has left that word with the sole meaning of romantic emotions. Love is far more than that. Families, couples, and friends all must have it.”

Lifeline then exclaimed, “My cutie mark represents my ability to offer ponies a life line to hold onto...”

The Princess further defined it, however. “Lifeline is not some perfect pony - just as I’m no perfect Princess - if I’m still a Princess at all. I have...things that I regret doing. Lifeline, however, has the unique ability to offer anypony a pure love that is essential to friendship. It’s what has been missing for so long now...but there is still a problem.”

“My talent is worthless if the other pony doesn’t offer their trust. It kind of makes me feel like my talent doesn’t exist to begin with.” Lifeline’s expression remained solemn.

“Don’t give up Lifeline,” the Princess encouraged. She then looked back at Synch, “I started a project with him to see if we could forge at least one friendship. It’s something I’ve been dreaming of ever since I-”

“Princess,” Lifeline tried to warn. However, Celestia took no heed.

“I failed in my duty as ruler of Equestria. I let it slide into mistrust and even hatred. Discord didn’t even need to be around because I messed everything up on my own,” her eyes watered. “Luna, my dear sister, left to the stars. She didn’t want to put up with me or my incompetence any longer.”

“Princess!” Lifeline urged stronger this time.

Tears rolled down her face and Synch began to understand just what had been transpiring behind the scenes. “It looks like I have everything under control but I really don’t have a clue what to do...” she paused repeatedly as her growing sobs interrupted her. “That’s why I banished Luna all those years ago. I’m too incompetent to handle things properly - I just mess everything up. It’s just like now. I tried to get that joy of friendship back - Twilight was so good at it...I wish so much to see her again...if only...”

The Princess kneeled, no longer being able to stand as she cried pitifully. Lifeline only looked to the floor, having nothing to say. Perhaps his own talent wasn’t useful here where he felt just as useless.

How could I have been so self-centered, Synch thought. They just wanted the same thing he wanted - somepony who cared about them. Deep down, Synch had always wanted a friend who would accept him for what he was - even make him a better pony than he was. But how could he ever get a friend if he didn’t make a friend? Friendship wasn’t a one way street, he finally decided. He had to act now or else there would be no bright future for Equestria for who knows how long. It had already been so long already.

“Twilight...why did you have to leave me...” the Princess continued to cry bitterly to herself.

“Alright!” Synch yelled intentionally loud. Lifeline looked up at him confused and the Princess gazed up from her kneeling position with red eyes and a torn up expression. “I’ve had enough of all of this! Looking back, I’m starting to think my life has been nothing but a nightmare. So I’m ending it right now. Princess, you are now my friend. Lifeline, you too. I don’t care about anything bad that’s happened before or might happen in the future. I’m making you both my friends right here and now.”

Both the Earth pony and the alicorn were frozen as they were, not knowing what to say. There was a dead silence for about a full minute. Synch started a cold sweat. What had he just said?

“...”

“...”

Deafening silence.

“...I don’t have a clue what friends do in this situation so somepony give me a line!”

“...”

“...”

Suddenly the Princess started laughing. It was a confusing scene, as the tears that stained her face contrasted sharply with the near elegant laughter. Lifeline soon joined in and Synch felt like the biggest joke in the entire galaxy. When Celestia slowed her laughter enough, she finally spoke, “For a brief moment, I heard Twilight again. Thank you...Synch.”

Not knowing how to respond, the unicorn remained silent.

“Hah. I guess friendship really is naive,” Lifeline filled the gap. “But I’m fine with being called a fool if I can experience it.”

“I only wish I knew what to do to spread that friendship...” Princess Celestia commented as she wiped away the tears with her front right hoof.

“Hmm...the elements of harmony - the elements of friendship. Just have to live them out right?” Synch tried to lighten the mood from its awkwardness.

“Easier said than done,” Lifeline countered. “Your attitude has totally changed though, Synch. This may sound kind of harsh but you weren’t very positive before. Why are you being so ‘go get em’ now?”

“I want to be happy. Don’t you?”

That made Lifeline speechless. He couldn’t say no but saying yes was somehow scary.

“You were trying very hard to win my friendship but it just doesn’t happen unless the other pony wants the friendship too. So I made my decision and I’m not going to change it. Anyways, I still have a question that hasn’t been answered yet.”

The Princess gave an expression to encourage him to ask it.

“What was up with the fancy shuttle?”

Lifeline smiled slightly but Celestia answered, “I started this New Ponyville environmental project but my poor position with the ruling class in Canterlot doesn’t give me much funding. I don’t have anywhere near the position I used to. I didn’t specifically try to get that shuttle - it was just what I could get as a free favor from PegaStar’s president. I’ve had to call in a lot of favors to get this project along since I can’t cover everything with our funding. Does that answer your question?”

Synch felt pathetic for worrying so much over something that turned out to be so trivial. Looking over to Lifeline, he noticed a slightly embarrassed expression. The seagreen stallion must have been ordered to keep hush about the funding problems. However, if Synch remembered properly, he and Nebula had let it slip before anyways. Synch smirked. Good job, he thought in mental laughter.

“So what now? I get the feeling I’m going to be doing more than I signed up for. How long am I going to be here? I sort of have a plant back home that could die...if it runs out of water that is.”

“We can just ship you over to get the plant when you need to. You can bring it here,” Lifeline explained.

“Ah,” was all that Synch had left to say.

The Princess noticed the dying conversation and motioned to lead them back down the observation tower. “You have something that needs to be done,” she stated rather than asked.

“Yeah, and Neb’s probably got some complaints stored up for us on the flight over. He wasn’t all that thrilled with having to pilot another beat up Pega-Pacer,” Lifeline groaned.

“I am sorry we couldn’t do better but the budget is not so kind. Perhaps we’ll be able to do something for him in the future,” Celestia calmly replied.

As they made their way down to ground level, the Princess began talking casually to Synch. Perhaps it was that she had already known Lifeline so well and thus had little more to speak to him about...or perhaps it was just her newfound friendship with Synch. Regardless, she didn’t speak merely of work related things but jumped topics and talked about things as insignificant as the grassy lawn outside of her personal cottage. Her lack of formality was odd at first but quickly became comforting. At least there was one pony that didn’t overthink things. After all, Synch tended to do that and, though it was a strange thing to consider, he almost loathed his own analytical tendencies.

Analysis was impossible for the conversation that he and the Princess were now carrying on. It was, according to Synch, the classical example of a female-led conversation. To put it another way, there was no topic and no particular point. It was somehow refreshing.

“You have an interest in greenery obviously. What kind of plant were you talking about? The one you have at your old house, I mean,” she continued as they left the observation tower for the landing field.

“Uh,” Synch stuttered as he was put under the spotlight. “Well, I don’t really know exactly what it is. It’s a vine...I think it’s some common variety because I don’t have to give it any special treatment...”

“Oh...well there are some kind of plants that seem to live on no matter what happens to them. Some ponies are like that too,” she said thoughtfully.

“Like Lifeline?” Synch joked as he looked back at the Earth pony who was following them. He had fallen back a pace and hadn’t spoken since they left the tower. It had been several minutes as they walked so the unicorn found it curious.

Lifeline just looked up from his downward gaze and replied with a quizzical expression. “You’ve been quiet,” Synch commented.

“Ah, yeah. I’ve just been thinking, that’s all...”

“About what?” Synch tried to coax out an answer.

“...” Lifeline paused. “It seems I succeeded in my mission after all.”

The three ponies were silent for a moment after that but Synch noticed that the Princess was smiling. “Yes you did. I still have some hope - for myself as well as Equestria,” she replied warmly.

When the gates of the landing field finally stood before them, Celestia halted. Nebula Swirl was approaching the gate from the opposite side with a disgruntled face. It seemed Lifeline was a prophet.

“I’ll talk to all of you later,” Celestia said as she turned to leave them. However, she said one more thing before she left and it was almost too faint for Synch to pick up. “Thank you.”

· · · · ·

The complaints were just as Lifeline had thought they would be. There were a multitude of problems with the “chopper” and Nebula had even acquired a few cuts when he had to fix the equipment tie-downs. Synch gave all of the appropriate responses to indicate he was sympathetic of Nebula. Even if the unicorn wasn’t the one dealing with the problems, he could tell that the pegasus tended to get the short end of the stick.

He assumed that he would be going along with them for the ride, since it had been noted as such earlier. It hadn’t dawned on him until then that he was incredibly terrified of flight via Pacer - if the last time was any indication.

“Uh yeah...that was a bit of an oversight on my part,” Lifeline admitted.

“Oversight nothing. You didn’t order up this piece of junk and it’s certainly not your fault that the only real way to that valley is by chopper,” Nebula interrupted. “Look, you can stay here, Synch. We can figure something else out tomorrow and it’s not like you have to fix up the terminals today. You can preload them anyways, right?”

“Only so much,” Synch admitted. It wasn’t preferable but he could use his personal data block to prepare the configurations. At least, he could to a small degree and he certainly wasn’t looking forward to another heart-attack inducing ride.

Lifeline looked dubious but decided to agree to have Lifeline remain at New Ponyville. The area that Lifeline and Nebula would be traveling to was labeled “Serenity” and was a recent development. Unfortunately it was situated past some difficult terrain. It was nestled between two harsh mountain ranges just east of the town. The positioning of the new Houses probably had some technical explanation, such as the climate capabilities, but Synch didn’t care.

He waved them off as they boarded the Pacer and powered it up. The loud hum of the anti-gravity pads was not something that the deep green unicorn held dear. He was relieved to some degree that he was out of the job...for the moment. That was, of course, until he remembered the sensor work with the greenhouses he still had to do. He hoped with every fiber of his equine being that none of the other sensors gave him trouble.

The Pacer lifted into the air with a start and Synch could almost see it strain with the weight of the heavy greenhouse equipment. What all of it did was anypony’s guess but at least one of the machines was probably responsible for air and water control. The Pacer seemed to drag itself into a banking turn as it shrunk into the distance. Even from his low vantage point on the landing field, Synch could still see the mountains to which it was destined. They were mostly rock, but there were still enough trees between New Ponyville and the mountains around Serenity that it could be called a forest. Or perhaps it could only be called something just under a forest. What exactly was something called when it was like a forest but did not quite have enough trees to be called such?

Whatever the case, Synch simply abandoned the thought and headed back to the House he was working on. It would be a simple matter to finish it up. All of the sensors would be reporting in properly and the House could be controlled remotely.

Nothing else of note happened that day until Lifeline and Nebula returned from Serenity. Synch was aroused from his work on the terminal preloads for the Serenity Houses when somepony near the landing field let out a cry. He thought he heard the words “fire team” shouted. The voice might have been Hyperbeat’s but he hadn’t known the pony long enough to be sure. Regardless, Synch bolted from his sitting spot atop a bench in front of House 40.

He gradually quickened his pace as he realized more and more ponies were at a dead run in every direction. A loudspeaker rumbled from the observation tower, “Medical team to the landing field! All ponies take shelter!”

He bolted to the landing field faster and faster. He only knew of one reason the fire and medical teams would need to be at the landing field. Something had gone terribly wrong and he was horrified to think that something might have happened to his two new friends.

Sure enough, Hyperbeat was near the landing field gates. He had a serious expression on his face that gave Synch the chills. There were over a dozen other ponies there. Some had fire suppressors and others had medical boxes. However, the field itself was empty. It was when Synch looked to the sky facing Serenity that he understood the situation. His blood ran cold.

The Pega-Pacer was still quite some distance away but he could definitely see the trail of pitch black smoke that it trailed. It wobbled along its course and one of the pads was giving an unnatural glow. Synch wasn’t breathing but he was trying to calm himself with logic. Clearly the craft hadn’t exploded...yet.

“What’s their status?” one of the ponies asked Hyperbeat.

“I don’t know! Their comm must’ve gone out,” Hyperbeat replied gravely.

Synch started running again. He didn’t know how it would help but he couldn’t keep himself still. The situation had his heart feeling like it was on fire. A mix of adrenaline, stress, and worry was making him dizzy. He ran towards the Pacer even as it came closer to him and the direction of the landing field. Soon Synch was running through the trees that separated New Ponyville and Serenity.

What could have happened? Was the Pacer really in such bad shape that it couldn’t even make the trip? Nebula seemed too good to have flown it without knowing if it could blow up around him. What in Equestria happened?

The answer came immediately like a hard slap in the face. As Synch continued running, he got close enough to hear the labored hum of the Pacer’s glowing left pad. He was also close enough to make out Lifeline in the open passenger compartment.

Boom!

A single lance of red hot energy seared forward from somewhere in the trees. It cut like a blade through the sky and pierced the Pacer straight through the tail stabilizer. Something exploded and the aircraft began to jerk violently. It was in that one moment that everything seemed to happen. Synch saw flames reach out from where Lifeline was and the Earth pony appeared to be desperately removing himself from his harness. One of the windows for the forward cockpit exploded outwards, sending hundreds of glass shards downwards as a deadly rain. The left side anti-gravity pad caught fire and started the craft into a sickening clockwise spin.

When the tail stabilizer had been hit, the explosion forced one of the control rods to shove itself forward through the craft’s frame. The result was the entire backside of the cockpit being shoved forward against the pilot. One of the Pacer’s crossbeams that made up its frame had been pushed hard against the back of Nebula’s neck. He was sprawled, eyes closed and motionless, over the useless control panel.

Synch’s world crumbled before him as he witnessed a horror he was certain he would never see. The passenger compartment became visible once again as the Pacer finished another clockwise twirl. Lifeline had removed himself from his burning harness and was holding tightly to one of the frame’s crossbeams. However, as the burning anti-gravity pad began to chew itself apart, the craft jerked violently downwards. Lifeline lost his grip.

He fell out from the passenger compartment and collided sideways against the rim of the burning pad. Rebounding, he began to fall straight to the ground - still plenty high enough for the fall to kill him. The Pacer, along with Nebula, continued its own death-plunge.

Synch was about to lose both of the ponies that he had come to regard as his first friends - even after just getting to know them. His mind was blank. No more mistrust. No more analysis of their every word and movement.

No more friendship. His very world was falling.

Comments

[Stark Trist]

“Alright!” So I’m ending it right now. Princess, you are now my friend. Lifeline, you too. I don’t care about anything bad that’s happened before or might happen in the future. I’m making you both my friends right here and now.”

After a near 2 hour discussion with friends over the topic. I agree with the conclusion. Ultimately friendship is a choice (ie is given) to give and does not actually require a second conscious or aware person. As such, the concept of earning friendship is irrelevant. Friendship is more an internalized declarative state of relation and intent.

A good example of this is the portal 1 companion cube. Most players drclare it as a friend even if it itself does nothing to earn it. It is no better a cube than others. it has no quality other than it's name. Yet, people befriend it and are sorrowful upon it's demise. RIP my friend.

Going into this story without the discussion and thought I was thinking friendship must be two ways. But there are too many counter examples IRL that come to mind.

However, I would say that most all healthy and mutually beneficial friendships are two way roads in which both parties give freely. This muddied the earning friendship bit, but is a secondary attribute/explanation to the dynamics of friendship.