Cryo-7

by Metal Pony Fan

Atop the Silver Tower

Celestia set down the pad with a heavy sigh. "Thank you for bringing this to my attention, Jasper."

The pegasus glanced over from window. He had been watching the sunset. This tower was the tallest point in the city, and had one of the best views. The pony he was conversing with had been enjoying this view since before the Galactic Assembly existed. "I wasn't sure if you already knew or not."

Celestia rose from her desk, and joined Jasper at the window. "Well, I certainly had an idea that my student had gone and revealed herself. She would not protect herself at the expense of others. Though, I wasn't aware there was such clear video evidence. Have they made any progress determining a cause for the attack?"

Jasper nodded slowly. "I'll forward the reports, but the gist of it is that it was revenge for the death of Eckrt, the pirate that you recently purchased a cryo-chamber from."

"A mistake that won't be repeated," she said in a low, quiet voice.

Jasper felt himself shiver from the cold tone. "Ma'am, the Assembly overlooks a lot of the COC's actions as thanks for the services you provide, but please don't-"

Celestia raised a hoof to stop him. "I appreciate the candor, my little pony, but rest assured, you are reading more into my statement than is intended." With a sigh, she returned to her desk. "I would never take it upon myself to start personally eliminating criminal groups, no matter how much it might benefit the rest of the galaxy. I merely meant we would take more safeguards, and not rely on black market dealers keeping their word."

"I'm relieved to hear that." Jasper stepped away from the window. Honestly, there wasn't much the Assembly could do, even if she decided to take over a member planet and declare herself Queen. She knew too much, had too many supporters, and nopony knew exactly what she was capable of if she decided to get her hooves dirty. "Well, I believe that concludes my business here."

"It seems so," Celestia said with a small nod. "Always a pleasure, Jasper. Let Coriander know that I am looking forward to our luncheon this weekend."

"I will," the pegasus returned the nod. "And, might I ask if Luna is in?"

"Away on business at the moment." Celestia smiled knowingly as he turned away in disappointment. "However, Silver was taking care of some paperwork down in the library."

Jasper froze, then hung his head and chuckled. "You see right through me."

Celestia giggled. "I've seen this more times than I can count, it's easy to recognize when you know what to look for."

With a sigh, Jasper nodded. "What gave me away?"

Folding her hooves on her desk, Celestia smiled at the pegasus. "In all the time I've known you, you've never interrupted her. Not during conferences, not during negotiations, not ever. Even when it would have been to your benefit. She has not extended the same courtesy to you."

Jasper frowned. "Are you saying it's one sided?"

"Not at all," Celestia assured him. "She has never complained about you. Even I am not excluded when Silver feels the need to vent. But, somehow, you are. Interesting, isn't it?"

"Yes," the pegasus admitted, "but there is an alternate explanation. Survivors of dead worlds tend to stick close together."

Celestia raised an eyebrow. "How close?"

Jasper sighed. "I walked into that one."

"Yes. Yes, you did," she reaffirmed. "Jasper, as much as I am enjoying finally discussing something other than business with you, I don't wish to keep you."

He gave a slow nod. "I appreciate that, Ma'am."

"Celestia is fine, Jasper."

The pegasus walked to the elevator. "Respectfully, Ma'am, I don't think it is."

The pegasus entered the elevator, leaving the white alicorn sighing at her desk. He hit the control that would bring him to the library level, protective film crinkling under his hoof. The panel was brand new, and nopony bothered to peel the blue plastic off the brass buttons.

Jasper sighed to himself as the elevator started moving. He may have been cold to Celestia, but he didn't completely trust her. It wasn't just the wings and horn, either. Though, nopony who survived Sevus could ignore the combination.

His sister died that night. Trampled under hooves of flame as she tried to save a neighbor's foal. He had been across town, and only arrived in time to hold the foal as she bled out. A stab wound, from a flaming horn.

Both his sister's body, and the foal's, where left behind, to make room for more survivors on a small cargo craft. A choice made by the ship's captain, a crying foal who had lost his own parents that night.

A foal that had not recognized Jasper when they met two weeks ago.

Jasper transferred to one of the military ships in orbit, not wanting to leave for Sevus before he knew other planets would be safe from the monsters below.

It was Silver who made sure of that. Somehow, two of the monsters made it onto the ship, perhaps on one of the evacuation shuttles, and wreaked havoc. By the time they were subdued, Silver was the highest ranked officer left alive.

Blood stained the walls around them as she made the decision to destroy Serus, utterly and completely. She watched alone, through an unshielded window, as the largest artificial explosion in known history reduced the planet to atoms. Wiping Serus from existence was the only way to be sure the Celestials couldn't find their way to another world.

So, imagine his surprise when he met Celestia, founder of the Galactic Assembly. Thousands of years later, and she still had a hoof in the galaxy's affairs. Guiding, she says, assisting where she can.

Controlling from the shadows, as far as Jasper was concerned. But as much as he pushed back against her, questioned her authority, even on occasion directly defying her, he was still here.

She told him once, that what he thought were orders were merely suggestions, and that she had no authority to force the issue. Dare he believe her? So far, her actions have always been for the benefit of the Galactic Assembly, and the ponies within it.

That's not to say she cared one bit for the governments and businesses running things. She once bankrupted a conglomerate that owned dozens of space stations over their debt policies, caused a revolt on a recently joined planet, and drove at least one corrupt politician to suicide in the time he had known her.

But, as long as things were honest and above board, she left things alone, merely watching.

The sound of a bell pulled him from his thoughts. The elevator had stopped, and the door was open. Pearly eyes stared through him, from above a confused frown. "I wasn't notified of any visitors. Who are you?"

Jasper smiled, but stayed still and silent.

Silver's tail twitched, ringing her bell again. The crystal inside rang against enchanted silver, putting out waves of energy that Silver could feel bouncing off her surroundings. More specifically, she could feel them bouncing off something pony sized and shaped in front of her. "Hello?"

Still, Jasper remained silent.

The bell rang once more, and Silver groaned loudly. "Not another one. Chryssy, I swear, I am going to have Twilight turn you into a mannequin if you insist on leaving them around the towers."

She walked into the elevator, turning and feeling the control panel for the one for her floor. She finally found it, thankful for the large buttons and Braille markings that replaced the old keypad, and hit the button. Then, she hip-checked what she thought was a mannequin.

It hip-checked her back.

She yelped in surprise, then turned her head, ears folding back as she frowned. Her bell jingled as she twitched her tail angrily. "Jasper?!"

"Yes?" The pegasus answered calmly. "May I help you?"

She punched him in the shoulder. "I get that enough from Chrysalis, you dolt."

"Who do you think told me to do this?" He smirked.

"I bet," she huffed. Still frowning, she raised her hoof again, but didn't hit him. Instead, she lifted it to his chin, then to his cheek, and softly over his face, tracing his smile. "Was it really that fun to scare me like that?"

"No," he answered as he mirrored her actions, pulling a smile from her as his hoof gently ran over her features. "I'm just happy to see you."

"Same here." She sidled up to him. "Figuratively, of course."

His wing wrapped around her, holding her close to him. "Of course."

"Is this going to be one of those nights?"

"You tell me," he said as he pressed his cheek against hers, "our schedules haven't matched up in weeks."

With a chuckle, she nudged her snout into his neck. "On one condition," she told him.

"Name it," he replied confidently.

"Make breakfast in the morning?"

"And here I thought you were actually going to give me a challenge." The lift stopped, the door opened, and Jasper walked out, guiding the pony beside him. "So, how are things around here?"

"Hectic," she laughed, "but what else is new? I think taking over as Luna might loosen my schedule, compared to how it is now."

Jasper nodded. Pressed against him as she was, Silver felt the muscles in his neck move. "I heard that's been delayed."

Silver nodded back. "I think Luna had something to do with it, the big one, not her herald."

"What makes you say that?" Jasper asked in concern. He didn't trust either alicorn sister, but Silver did. Funny enough, he found the shape shifter in the group easiest to trust. Mostly because she was easier to understand. She was a greedy, vindictive thing, and capable of scheming and treachery, but she was fairly honest about what she wanted, and may divine intervention be on your side if you ended up in her way. "Has she changed her mind about you representing her?"

"Relax, Jasper, it's nothing like that. Rosa's grandson was recently promoted, and his company is transferring him from Earth, to the Canterlot office."

"So her granddaughter-in-law, and the unborn twins will be moving to Canterlot as well?"

"And, just like that, her eagerness to retire has dried up." Silver shrugged. "It's just as well. Twilight needs my help now more than ever with her search for Cryo-chambers. We found the first one, and more just started popping up."

"And almost led to the destruction of Canter Delta," Jasper reminded. "I really wish you weren't involved in all that. How much help does the young Celestial really need?"

"Oh, not you, too." Silver stopped and turned to face the other pony. "She is not a Celestial, Jasper. None of them are. I think the Celestials were some twisted attempt to become like them, but there is no comparison. You need to give them a chance."

Jasper turned as well, sighing. "I know you trust them, but I worry about you."

"And I worry about you, every day. I live in a tower with the oldest, most powerful ponies in the galaxy. I'm safe. You are the president's aide, and a member of his security detail. You're the closest pony to him at any given time. If somepony ever takes a shot at him..."

"I would get caught in the crossfire," Jasper finished for her.

"Oh, please," Silver muttered, leaning her head against his chest. His tie was silky smooth, like always. "You would step in front of him."

"Without hesitation." Jasper nudged her horn out of his neck, stroking the mane around it. "He is more important than I am. And, I know you would do the same for Luna. It's just the type of ponies we are. We've been through enough to know how small we are."

"Small doesn't mean unimportant," she reminded him. "We may not be the ones remembered, but we work directly at their behest, moving things along in ways that could change the course of history."

"And what do we do when we aren't needed anymore? Jones won't be President forever, and the next president will have his own aide. Luna will one day have another herald."

"And, we will fade away, together, into the crowd, into obscurity. We will survive, like we always have."

"With no reason? No purpose?"

"Reason? Purpose?" Silver smiled. "I thought you were more of a, 'duty and responsibility,' pony. Why are you suddenly worried about giving your life meaning?"

"Our lives have meaning, Silver."

"And they always will, Jasper." She pulled away from him, and started walking down the hallway, bell jingling behind her. "Even after our usefulness to power is over."

Jasper followed her to a doorway, but she didn't enter immediately. "Something wrong?"

"Something right," she corrected. She opened the door and led him inside. She heard the rub of cloth as Jasper loosened his tie. "Don't you dare," she warned as she closed the door. "That's my job tonight."

Jasper raised his hoof in defeat. "If you insist." He walked over and sat down on her bed. "The lights are on."

"Oops." Silver switched them off with magic, and made her way to the bed, feeling the mattress for the pegasus, until he grabbed her hoof. "I wonder how long those were on."

"Who knows?" Jasper pulled her into the bed beside him, sighing as she ran her hoof over him. She felt her way to his face, and pulled off his sunglasses. He ran his hoof down her back, and gathered up her long tail so he could untie her bell. "Darkness suits us both better."

"It does, doesn't it?" Silver slowly undid his tie, and started on his suit's buttons, working nimbly with her hooves. "Your eyes still bother you?"

"Headaches," he confirmed. "But it's still worth it. Especially being able to see you again. I just wish the sun wasn't so bright."

Silver smiled. "You know, I finally spoke to that doctor of yours."

"You did?" Jasper grabbed her hooves, just as she undid his last button. "What did he say? Can he help you?"

"Mostly, he told me what I already knew." Silver pushed Jasper backwards, letting him pull her down with him. "You watched through a darkened window, I didn't. My sight is gone, permanently. My eyes, and the optic nerves, are too far damaged. Removing them, and installing bionics and a neural interface, was all he could offer."

"Which, you won't do." Jasper wrapped his hooves around her, hugging her tight. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be." Silver laid her head alongside his, and whispered in his ear, "The other scarring isn't as bad."

"What?" Jasper twisted, dumping Silver on her side as she laughed. He stared at the unicorn. "What do you mean?"

"You can see again, and now, suddenly, you have to look at me while we talk?" Silver put her hooves on his face, one near his brow, the other near the corner of his mouth. If he was going to look at her, she was going to see his expression as best she could. "He looked over my scans, and noticed they were a little odd. He ran them again, and it seems that whatever happened to me changed my body chemistry slightly." He was confused, brow pulled tight, and he was frowning. That would change, and Silver couldn't help but smile. "It's why I haven't aged. And, it seems that there are some other effects. The normal dose of imaging contrast is too much, so he ran them with a little less. And it looks like the internal scarring from that magic blast I took during the fight for the bridge, isn't as bad as we thought."

Jasper's mouth opened, but he didn't say anything, so Silver continued, "It would still require a few year's worth of treatments, possibly a surgery or two." She felt his mouth pull into a smile, and she knew he understood what she was saying. She laughed as she grabbed his cheeks with both hooves. "That makes you happy?"

The stallion grabbed her hoof, kissing it, and laughing as he rubbed his face against it. Silver felt water against her fur, just a little. "Silver," Jasper's voice broke, an uncharacteristic weakness from the president's stoic right hoof, "I love you."

Silver smiled, and closed her eyes, lifting her snout in the air. He took the hint, as she knew he would, and leaned in to kiss her. "I love you, Jasper," she whispered before their lips met.

But, Jasper's suit jacket started beeping, and he rolled over with a groan. Grabbing it, and fumbling for his phone, he offered a weary smile for the hoof still resting on his face. "It's work, what can we do?"

"Ignore it?" Silver pulled herself up on him, and leaned over. With a smile, she felt her way up his hoof, and whispered, "but, you aren't that type of pony."

And with that, she hit the phone's screen, answering the call before holding it up to his face.

---

Meanwhile, in the grand and empty office atop the tower, Celestia watched alone as night fell over the city. Stars twinkled in the dark sky, and her pad lay forgotten on her desk. In her hoof was a picture, carefully preserved, reproduced, replaced many times, but still faded from near centuries of age.

It was a simple picture. She wasn't even sure who took it, perhaps a guard, or royal attendant, long lost to time. But, she had kept it close for so long that she couldn't imagine being without it.

In the picture, a sleeping filly lay curled on the red cushion of a throne. The nobles back then would have thrown a fit if they knew some kid decided the seat of the monarchy was an appropriate place to take a quick nap, but Celestia knew better. That filly, more than any other, deserved to be there. That filly, one day, would create a legacy unmatched by any other.

And that legacy was here. It was right outside the window. It was the very existence of the city outside, and the civilization that spanned the galaxy beyond. Her legacy was the very survival of her species, and she couldn't take pride in it because her friends weren't by her side.

Instead, she was out there risking her life. She was fighting criminals, monsters, and who knows what else to try and ensure the safety of every pony that ever mattered to her. And, she was succeeding. And, she was failing. And, she had the support of every pony except the one who could help her the most.

Celestia looked down at the picture.

And she wept.

Comments

[cheetored20]

Instead, she was out there risking her life. She was fighting criminals, monsters, and who knows what else to try and ensure the safety of every pony that ever mattered to her. And, she was succeeding. And, she was failing. And, she had the support of every pony except the one who could help her the most.

Poor tia.

[Timuri]

Celestia gave up so much, and even now continues to run a galaxy wide bluff to try to influence the universe for the better. Poor mare.

Jasper and Silver are cute together. I wonder if somehow Silver became ageless, or if it was simply slowed? It also sounds like that blast may have healed certain damages, so that maybe they can one day be parents.