Mane Effect

by Quillery

Chapter 4: The Heart of a Galaxy

Chapter 4: The Heart of a Galaxy

“And so, with this grand station our Civilization has its heart, so that we may spread peace and unity throughout the galaxy...”

“Decontamination complete. Disembarking procedure complete.”

The Normanedy’s computer went silent as the airlock slid silently behind me and South. She moved slowly across the gangway while I trotted quickly to the end and peered over the edge. My mouth fell open at the size of the dock we had stopped in. Down below us, and high above was a giant wallface that curved around the entire inner ring of the Corral. Thousands of similar gangways and platforms stuck out along it like blades of grass in an endless field. Even though this area was a small part of the entire Corral itself, it did a good job of putting its massive size into scale.

South, however, had better things to do than survey the scenery of where we were like me. She moved along the dock with placid intensity, moving past me and beelining towards the elevators at the end. She nodded to the two Earth Pony guards posted at the door, who noted her presence with a similar gesture. South entered the lift and turned around to face me. She stared at me with a bored look in her eyes that slowly shifted into impatience. Realizing that she was in no mood for looky-loo today, I rolled my eyes and begrudgingly left the edge of the dock and entered the elevator with her.

The door shut silently, and the lift rocked slightly as it started its descent into the heart of the Corral. A small screen in the corner sprung to life as the descent began, chiming with the familiar tune of a Corral Network news report. It broadcasted a few minor reports, but nothing really got my attention. There were windows in the cabin, but behind them were rows of metal slabs and other boring grey decorations. This had the makings of being the most boring elevator ride of my life, until snippets of bright lights started to break through the dull steel outside the cabin. I caught intermittent glimpses of something beyond the elevator shaft. It was bright, shining and incredibly welcoming.

Light suddenly began to fill the small elevator. As my eyes adjusted to the brightness, I looked out through the window to see what we had descended into. The elevator was now falling along a series of clear tubes joined to several other elevators. The nexus of elevators was descending down into a long narrow shaft that opened into a much wider room at the end. At the bottom, I saw even more light pour through the opening. As we crossed the threshold of the shaft, my jaw dropped at what came into view, a single thought running through my mind.

Unprepared.

I was unmistakingly, overwhelmingly, mind-blowingly unprepared for the sheer magnitude of the Corral. I had seen pictures, videos, looked at schematics and blueprints, listened to stories and other testimonies, but none of it helped prepare me for this moment. The Corral on the inside was unimaginably immense, far bigger than any of the cities I lived under on Earth and was thousands of times cleaner. The elevator had dropped down through the ceiling of what appeared to be a single enormous chamber. I looked out the glass elevator in unbridled awe at the pristine white pathways, crystal clear rivers and verdant green parks that spread as far as the eye could see of the luxurious inner ring of the Promenade. I pressed my face against the glass like a child peering into a toy shop, peering intently for any wonders I may have missed. Until a certain somepony’s stifled giggle decided to ruin it for me.

“Whut in tarnation are you doin?”

My reverie broken, I turned to see South rolling her eyes at me with a mirthful grin on her face. She had been leaning up against the window since we entered the elevator and casting idle glances out the opposite side. The majority of her focus was drawn to the small holo-screen in the side of the lift, still broadcasting random selections of new reports. South looked bored, despite what was happening outside the elevator..

“How can you look at all of this,” I said, with a sweeping motion of my hoof towards the window. “And not be impressed?”

South calmly trotted over to the window beside me and gazed out over the edge. Her muzzle scrunched in contemplation as her eyes slowly traveled from side to side. She quietly scoffed and shook her head, before looking back to me, unimpressed. “Too shiny.”

Too shin-. It took almost all of my will to not lose it right there in the elevator at my companion. I had known South for no more than a full day and she had proved to be an incredibly stubborn, thick headed, reckless and cocky individual and I was finding it increasingly difficult to be around her. She had shown signs of a softer side back on the Normanedy, but I knew getting her to open up about it would be akin to pulling horseshoes. I was already starting to miss Dexter, but he still needed to recover and was left on the ship to rest, leaving me with the prairie mare.

“Let’s just go find the embassies,” I said curtly, quickly changing the subject. “I don’t think the Captain will want to be alone with the ambassador for too long.”

South nodded and she trotted back to her side of the elevator. There was simply too much going on around me to sit idly and stare, but I had a commitment to keep. Maybe, just maybe, when this was all over I would have some time to explore. That was as pleasant a thought as any.

“Do you even know where we gotta go?”

I recalled the set of instructions Captain Quartermane gave me before he left us to prepare on the Normanedy. We were supposed to wait a while to see if Poindexter would recover in time, but barring that we were to leave to rejoin with the Captain after about an hour. The Captain also insisted we come with our equipment ready, a request that I found odd. If this was the heart of galactic power, why would we need to protect ourselves? South had no problems with donning her armor again, so I complied simply to avoid further argument. As for actual directions to rejoin with the Captain, the instructions were alarmingly simple.

“We take this elevator down to the Corral Security offices, then talk to somepony named Corrina for directions from there.”

“Hmph,” South huffed. “Easy enough I suppose.”

She returned to her idle gaze out her window, while my thoughts drifted back to the matter at hoof. I wondered what the Captain and the ambassador would be able to come up with in a short hour and if any of it would be useful in a Council trial. There were so many things that were inconclusive, like the Geld involvement, the relic, Nimbus’s death at the hands of a supposedly rogue Sleipnir. None of it made any sense to me and I doubt anypony else would make much of it either.

My attention was drawn to the small screen behind us by another chiming sound. It was an alert for a special Extra-Net broadcast. A picture of a planet with several Stable warships in orbit around it flashed across the screen; a very familiar planet.

”Stable Alliance Military forces have finally contained the sudden Geld invasion of Equestria Prime and are now searching through adjacent sectors to discover any further threats to Earth Pony colonies. The reason behind the invasion is still under investigation and Corral Council members will be adjudicating over evidence in a hearing, later today.”

The remainder of the report turned to dull static in my head. It was regrettable what happened to Equestria Prime, but at least it did not take long for S.T.A.B.L.E to arrive and put an end to the Geld threat. It was strange that they were keeping quiet about the Alicorn relic, or Artemis’s involvement. There had to be a reason for keeping it quiet. Hopefully the answer would be found at the ambassador's office. South was still leaning against the wall of the elevator, with her forelegs crossed. Her eyes were shut and appeared to be actively ignoring the news report, but the way her tail twitched in irritation proved otherwise.

“Are you alright?” I asked.

South was quiet for a moment, slowly opening her eyes before looking towards me. She looked like she was somewhere between anger and calm in the way she stared at me, before breaking eye contact to gaze back out the window. “It’s just funny is all, how quick they are in keepin’ what happened back there quiet until they can talk about it all official like. We were there. We know what happened down there. An’ we can’t say a ruttin’ thing about it to anypony. Not t’ the survivors, or t’ the families of the ones that died.”

She rapped her hoof against the glass in anger, before turning back to me. “So no, I ain’t alright. Not until we bring this Artemis bastard down for what he did to mah friends.”

She turned around to listen to the remainder of the news regarding Equestria Prime. I just stared absently in her general direction, uncertain of what to say, if there was anything I could say. An awkward silence descended upon the elevator, not even the gentle hum of the mechanism did much to alleviate the tension. This was going to be a long ride.

---

After what seemed like an eternity, the elevator finally reached its destination, whirring gently as it came to a halt. The doors slid open quietly, revealing an active scene on the other side. Droves of ponies rushed back and forth in the hallway outside the elevator. Many of them were chatting among themselves, others hurrying back and forth with papers bulging out of saddle bags and some even escorting sour looking individuals in hoofcuffs. I stepped out of the elevator into what appeared to be a giant atrium. There was no ceiling that I could make out, only walls that encompassed a series of hallways and stairwells. The words C-SEC were painted numerous times along the sides of the room I stood in and guards stood dutifully in front of each sign, stone faced and stiff.

I trotted down the stairs from the elevator into the atrium proper, looking for signage that would direct me to my destination. I stopped at the bottom when I realised that South was not following me. She was still at the top of the stairs, her eyes darting about in panic. I sighed and trotted back towards her. “What is it now?” I asked in a hushed voice.

She was breathing quickly, her jaw set and teeth bared. “Whut do you mean, what is it? Look!” she seethed.

I looked again. Still the same ponies wandering about doing their jobs, the same ponies working together to protect the citizens of the Corral. In an effort to humor South, I did attempt to look a bit harder. The ponies were all wearing a similar style of blue armor. It looked rather imposing on them, almost doubling their actual size. It reminded me of the armor that Nimbus wore, albite hers looked far lighter and more maneuverable. They even had the same strange styles of paints on their faces as Nimbus, done in varieties of colors and designs that did a similar job of adding further intensity to their bright coloring. Then there was the fact that all of these ponies had-

Oh. I looked at every pony that was in view, confirming my realisation. All of them had wings. All of them, all of C-Sec, or at least this particular office, were all Pegasi. I let the reality sink in a bit, before I simply shrugged. They were Pegasi, big deal. I still didn’t get what all the fuss was about. It wasn’t like I was going to have any problems here, but my companion on the other hoof...

South was still standing at the crest of the stairs, on the verge of some sort of mental breakdown. I trotted beside her and nudged her forward. She resisted of course, but only slightly. I heaved a weary sigh. “Look South, I know you have issues with the Pegasi, thought I don’t know why exactly. I certainly don’t understand it, but that’s not my problem here.” I poked my hoof at her and she vaguely showed attentiveness.

I could be nice about it. Clearly South had issues with non Earth Ponies, but the fact that it was slowing us down was going to cause problems. Problems that we needed to avoid. Sometimes a dose of tough love is exactly what is needed in a time like this.

“My problem is why you can’t seem to put it behind you and move on. We have a job to do here. All that justice you want for Equestria Prime isn’t going to happen if you just sit here and act like all the feathered ponies down there are going to eat you.”

She looked at me, probably more shocked that I was scolding her than the fact I was using what little authoritative strength I had on her for compliance. I didn’t like what I had said to her, but I hoped South was a big enough mare to not hold it against me, or immediately snap on me right there in the middle of C-Sec. An argument in the middle of a security station was not something I wanted to be a part of. Her eyes wavered downwards, before her head hung low in sullen compliance. “Fine, whatever. Let’s just git outta here.”

She trotted loudly down the stairs, but at least she was moving. I sighed in relief at this minor victory for myself, noting that I was probably going to have to apologise for it later and rushed down to follow her. We were both stopped at the exit by two Pegasus stallions guarding the checkpoint. They requested our identification, which we provided obediently with a wave of our omni-tools. Their scanners bleeped approvingly and the guards let us through. South pushed her way past them quickly and moved on through the doors, while I remained a moment to ask the guards if they could give me directions.

“Excuse me sir, but where can I-”

The guards looked away, as did I at the sound of shouting, shouting that was quickly getting nearer. All eyes were fixed on a grey pegasus that came into view around the corner with a scowl on his face. He was trotting very loudly away from a second larger pegasus. The former was wearing a styled blue tunic of unknown design, while the latter was wearing full security gear, complete with helmet and a black visor. The two appeared to be in a heated argument, the smaller of the two attempting to walk away from the other, while the larger one continuously darted in front of the other attempting to get his attention.

“Absolutely not!” the smaller pegasus barked, turning away again from the other.

“But Sir, I know I have something solid! I just need more time!” The second Pegasus pleaded. The voice was distorted underneath the helmet, but the insistence in it was clear as day. The armor he was wearing was far bulkier and not as form fitting as the other Pegasi present. Even his tail was hidden under the black and blue canvas material in between the joints of the armor.

“No, You had your time and it’s been used up. The Council will not wait any longer. If you didn’t find anything useful, then you aren’t going to.”

The large one darted in front of the officer, flaring his wings out to force his superior to halt. With his wings outstretched, I noticed the feathers of his frosted white wings were tinged a bright red at the tips. “But I know he’s guilty and I have the proof, I just need to-”

The officer held up his hoof to stop his subordinate mid sentence. He flared his wings in response and actually managed to tower over the larger pegasus before him, not in size, but in sheer presence. “I know you need more time. I know you need more proof. It’s the same excuse every time. Just like with all the others. You have all these hunches Firestorm, but nothing to back it up.”

The officer turn away, pumping his wings to get airborne and hovered just above the ground for a moment.

“The sooner you realise how C-Sec is supposed to conduct itself, the sooner you might actually get somepony to listen to your ‘hunches’.” He gave a mighty beat of his wings and rocketed away up out of the atrium.

The remaining pegasus watched him leave as the C-Sec office descended into silence. All eyes were on him as he stood watching the officer vanish from sight. He stamped his hooves in anger before turning his attention to those around him. He looked around the room, nopony daring to meet his gaze as they returned to their duties. Eventually his head faced my direction. I was still standing next to the checkpoint guards, but they had both returned to idly attending the gate while I continued to stare at the beleaguered security pony. He was looking directly at me and was incredibly still as he did so. I fidgeted nervously as his gaze remained unbroken. He cocked his head sideways sharply, an action I could easily translate as ‘what are you looking at?’, before he pumped his wings and rocketed away, a corona of white and red streaking behind him.

One of the guards next to me chuckled. “Looks like old Stormy is on the warpath again. When will that pony learn?”

“I wonder why the Captain keeps that hothead around?” the other added. “Never gets anything useful done.”

I stared vacantly at the spot where the two Pegasi had been standing, wondering what the argument had been all about. The Captain had mentioned the Council’s involvement, maybe the Council had a lot more on their hooves than Earth Pony colonies to worry about. And the other Pegasus, he said he had proof that ‘he’ was guilty. I wonder who they were talking about. It couldn’t have been anything we were concerned with, what reason could a Pegasus have to be concerned with our problems? My thoughts trailed off as I realised one of the guards was speaking to me. “Is there something you needed?”

“Oh, I, um...” I muttered, trying to remember what I was asking before the argument. “I was looking for directions on how to get to the embassies.”

He pointed a hoof out the doors behind me. “Out the door, just outside the C-Sec offices, talk to Corrina at her kiosk. If that is everything I’ll have to ask you to move along please” He waved me along with a hoof, returning to his other duties. I stepped away from them as they tended to others coming and going through the terminal. At least this Corrina wasn’t far, so we could get moving quickly. I smirked at the continuing simplicity of my task as I approached the exit to C-Sec and trotted through the door out into the Promenade.

---

“Whut took you so long?”

South’s question was on me the second I stepped out the door. She was leaning on a pillar on the opposite side of the door and staring directly at me with the same bored eyes she had since the elevator. Was she going to be like this the entire time? There had to be something on this station that would excite her, or at least make her less of a stick in the mud. I moved towards her, shaking my head at the unlikeliness of anything interesting happening today, at least anything interesting to her.

“Just seeing Pegasus politics at work,” I replied sarcastically. “Very dramatic.”

She raised an eyebrow at the vagueness of my answer and gave a quiet huff. I chuckled to myself; if she was going to push my buttons, I would push hers. Walking past her, I came out of the covered antechamber of C-Sec into a wide pathway. Opened sky spread out all around the circular inner ring that was the Promenade of the Corral. I could see the immense space we were in bend around in the distance, coiling upwards and out of sight. The ceiling was painted with puffs of white that slowly moved of their own accord, giving the illusion of a partly cloudy sky. On the other side of a short barrier on the edge of the path I could see an artificial river trickling through a vast channel below. The water was pristine, almost luminescent in the brightness of color all around. It wasn’t just the construction of the Promenade that awed me however, it was the diversity of those who inhabited it.

From my high vantage point outside the C-Sec offices I could see many different creatures in all directions. My gaze darted about, observing all of the different groupings of races that were moving through what appeared to be a large park area below me. I saw groups of Pegasi civilians walking with Unicorns and even Earth Ponies. They trotted along leisurely through the square enjoying what appeared to be a pleasant walk in a park, with no animosity between them. At least somepony’s could get past old hatreds and learn to be friends.

At a nearby bench I saw a pair of lanky robed bipeds engaged in idle chatter. Their lengthy clothing covered much of their bodies, but I could see grey furry limbs protruding from the usual places. They stood hunched on twisted legs and they gestured to each other with clawed appendages. Despite the gaunt and dishevelled appearance of their bodies, they seemed to comport themselves in an almost regal fashion with how they bowed politely to each other and anyone that passed by.

Beside them was a lone pony with silver colored limbs ushering a group of foals through the road. There was something odd with the way she carried herself. She almost seemed to glide as she walked along with the children in tow. She was not wearing much clothing, but it was not indecently so. It was like she didn’t need any. A nagging doubt in my mind told me that there was something much more to this pony that met the eye, but unless I got closer I would not discover it here. I guess I should have payed more attention in class after all.

South coughed and my attention turned back to her.

“Where’s this Corrina we’re supposed t’ talk to?”

I looked around the immediate area. The pathway was very wide and open, the tall pillars laid up against the chamber walls. But despite the clear view nothing that looked like a kiosk stood out, or anything at all nearby for that matter. The only thing that appeared remotely out of place was a lone terminal overlooking the river below to our left. Upon closer inspection the terminal had a single command displayed, labeled ‘Help’. South and I looked at the button tentatively, but it was obvious that we were lost and some help would be nice. I placed a hoof on the terminal and it flashed a series of lights in reply before going blank.

A second later, a burst of color flourished behind the terminal. Vibrant shades of blue and purple swirled as a glowing mass of color and light coalesced into solid shapes. Slowly the edges hardened and eventually settled into the shape of a holographic pony. It stood in front of us at the terminal, its form outlined by lines of blending hues as the final details of its visage took shape. It was a Unicorn, or at least the effigy of one, evident by the protrusion from its head. It also appeared feminine, the shape of its body outlined by gentle curves and a soft smile. Its genesis completed, her eyes fluttered open to reveal two orbs of glowing white, which were directed straight at me.

“Hello,” she began. Her voice was melodious, ethereal, but lacking...something. I didn’t know how to describe it, but it was like she was missing something vital behind her words. If I could place a word on it, I could would say that it was as if she had no soul in her voice, and the lack of which made me uneasy around her. “Welcome to the Promenade. I am Corrina, a Corral designated Virtual Intelligence designed to assist new visitors. How may I help you today?”

“Uh...” I began. I was still a little distracted by Corrina’s ‘emergence’ to be able to think straight. I had worked around V.I.’s before, but they were never given forms of their own, even if this one was only a hologram. The Unicorns certainly had a flair for beauty and the dramatic, evidenced clearly by the ghost like presence standing before me. Questions started flooding my mind, but I quickly silenced the torrent and sifted through the more appropriate ones to ask.

“What is your primary function?”

Corrina nodded. “I am a data quantifying and relaying program designed to access and deliver requested information and other relevant data to those who request them, barring restricted access.”

Ok, now this was cool. A library of potentially endless knowledge about the Corral at my hooftips and I was going to make the most of it while I could.

“What can you tell me of the Corral?”

Corrina tilted her head, confused. “I’m sorry. Could you please be more specific in your inquiry?”

Hmm. Specific. I thought carefully as I looked again at the impressive chamber I was standing in. The Corral was beyond incredible and an engineer such as myself would love to know how it was put together.

“How are the Corral districts organised?”

Corrina nodded approvingly. “The Corral is made up of two distinctive sections, comprised of multiple districts in between them; the Promenade and the Warrens. The inner ring of the Promenade serves as home to the Corral’s vital services, such as the Corral Embassies, hospitals, C-Sec headquarters and other high class establishments, as well as domiciles. You will also find the Corral Council Tower here, at the pinnacle of the ring, where the Corral Council sits and adjudicates over galactic matters.”

“The Warrens encompasses the numerous districts that are housed in the Corral’s five arms and has been used largely as residential and commercial sectors. However, due to the much larger size of the Warrens, it is far more difficult for C-Sec to maintain order and peace. You will find many core C-Sec offices within the Warrens, as well as a popular nightlife scene if you are brave enough to take the risks involved.”

Interesting. The Corral just seemed like a giant mega city; complete with high class, middle class and low class and all the bits in between. It was just the sheer scope of its all that amazed me and another question came to mind.

“What is the current population of the Corral?”

Corrina stared forward a moment, completely still. The white of her eyes shifted as streams of light darted across them in an instant, before she blinked and looked back to me. “As per the most recent survey of date, the current population of the Corral is estimated at nine point five three million. Sixty two percent of the total population is equine and the remaining thirty eight percent are under other classifications.”

Other classifications? I did see that one creature that stood on two legs, but I had no idea what it was, maybe that was one of the other races that inhabited the Corral and maybe Corrina could explain them to me.

“What are the other classifications?”

Corrina began to speak, before a hoof was placed on my shoulder. I saw South, annoyed, staring directly at me with angry eyes. “While Ah would love to sit here and gab over a bunch of useless information, we got us a job to do, don’t we Shepard?”

Killjoy. I sighed in compliance and changed my question. “What is the quickest way to the Earth Pony Embassies?”

Corrina pointed her luminescent hoof to the right. “If you follow this walkway for ten minutes, you will find yourself in the heart of the Embassy district.”

“Thank you, Corrina.” I said, before turning to South. “Let’s go.”

Corrina nodded again, as her form began to flicker. “You are most welcome. Enjoy your stay on the Promenade. Logging you out, Shepard.” And she was gone.

I froze a moment. How did she know who I was? I would have asked her again, but South nudged me forward. “C’mon now, we’ve wasted enough time with the pretty shiny pony. The Captain’s gonna want to see us on the double.”

I sighed again. “Fine, whatever.” I grumbled as we walked away from the kiosk and down the ivory path.

---

The Embassy District appeared to be a nexus of doors, elevators and stairwells stretching all over the nearby area like a maze. Me and South walked along the path, passing by many windows and occupied offices. The scenery remained drearily constant until we reached what appeared to be the heart of the district center. A large circular desk stood out from the countless entrances, surrounded by several ponies waiting in line. Seeing no alternative we approached the gaggle of ponies to wait our turn.

South maintained her uninterested posture, staring straight ahead. She looked like she was actively avoiding looking around. Her continued boredom of this fantastic place was wearing on me. I on the other hoof, continued to look haphazardly around, much to the objection of my straining neck, to see as much as I possibly could. I could hear the ponies in line ahead talking, gossiping among themselves, but none of it stood out to me as particularly interesting; Corral politics, future Geld attacks, extremist terrorist groups and even pie recipes drifted past my ear from inane conversations as I waited patiently for directions from the receptionist.

The herd ahead of us finally trickled away and South gave me another push forward as our turn finally arrived. I stepped up to the desk, but there was no pony there to greet me. I looked around to see if there was another button to summon a VI, when a silver hoof waved out from underneath the desk. “Just a moment!” A gentle voice chimed from under the table. “I just dropped something. Now where did it..ah! Here it is.”

I watched as a teal coated backside rise from the ground and slowly straightened up to its full height. The receptionist smiled happily at me, as she corrected the glasses that were crookedly hanging from her snout. “Welcome to the Corral Embassies. How may I help you today?”

I returned the friendly smile. “I’d like directions....to.....the.....”

My words trailed off at a sudden realisation, one of the many realisations I’d been having since I started this crazy trip. At a first glance, this pony looked like a normal turquoise colored Earth Pony with amber eyes, but as I stared, things I did not notice before were sending warning signals in my brain. Her legs, first off, from the shoulder right to the hoof, were not simply silver covered, they were made of metal! This pony had robotic limbs or something of similar design, as if she had been in some kind of horrible accident, but the weird definitely didn’t stop there. Around her neck was a strange collar filled with what I assumed to be water and bubbles and her coat glistened as if was permanently wetted. Finally, the way she was sitting at the desk was completely alien to me, her rear planted on the chair and her back straight upright, with her forelegs resting on the desk and her hooves pressed together together.

Confusion set in on her features as my silence continued. My eyes simply widened in awe as she stood up hurriedly in worry. “Are you ok? Is something the matter?” She leaned forward and I caught sight of her tail flitting around. Her hairless tail. No, it wasn’t even a hairless tail. It was just a mass of muscle with fins on the end, shiny and slippery just like the rest of her. What in the galaxy was this thing?

“I...you...uh....pony?” I stuttered pointlessly, backing up slightly. I ran into something that firmly cut off my escape, which turned out to be South, who did not share my state of confusion and panic. No, she just had her usual look of disapproval and irritation as she sighed vehemently. “Ah swear, it’s like you’ve never seen uh Sea-Pony before!” she chided.

A Sea-Pony? I had heard about such a race during my training years, but I thought they were just myths and rumors. An actual race of half pony and half fish? It just sounded ridiculous. But here one was, sitting right in front of me, plain as day. I turned to look at the receptionist again, who seemed to be understanding what was happening. She returned to her chair and the gentle smile from moments ago returned in force. The collar around her neck continued to bubble lazily with a range of luminescent colors. Oh! A breathing device! Thats what it is! And the legs must be...

Upon closer inspection, the metallic limbs were indeed attached by some sort of harness around her dolphin like body, which looked like it could easily be detached with a bit of effort. I assumed that her front fins were hidden underneath the forelegs and together the false limbs did an astounding job of making her far more equine in appearance. She noticed my searching eyes and struck a pose with her forelegs to display them better. “Most Sea-Ponies dye their casings to match their coats, but I like the silver. Such a radiant color.” She fawned. “My name is Aqualia, how can I help you...?”

“South,” my companion said in my place. “An’ this gawkin’ gussy is Shepard. We’re here to speak to the Earth Pony Ambassador.”

Aqualia smiled again. “Of course, let me see if he is busy.”

She turned her attention to her console and after a few moments of searching looked back to us. “He appears to be in a meeting with one of the Council, but you are both expected.” She stood again and pointed at one of the many doors behind her. “If you follow that door all the way to the end you will find his office there.”

Apparently satisfied with that answer, South uttered a quick “thank you,” and stepped aside quickly, starting towards the door with me following behind. I looked back to see Aqualia already busy with another visitor from the line up that had grown behind us. Once we were out of earshot I hurried up beside South, a thought nagging at me. “I don’t get you South.” I said quietly, hoping the vagueness of the statement would pique her interest.

It did. She slowed to a stop just before the door and stared at me. “Whut do you mean?”

“When we hang around a Pegasus, you have a panic attack, but when you introduce me to a Sea-Pony, it’s like nothing is wrong. At first I just thought you hated all non Earth Ponies, but now it obvious you only hate Pegasi.” I gave her a hard look to strengthen my next question. “Why?”

Her stare wavered a moment. “Ah don’t hate the Pegasi.” she said quietly. “Ah just....don’t trust em.”

“Can you tell me why?”

South stood silent for a while before pressing the switch to open the door to the offices. She stepped through, her head shaking slowly. “Maybe some other time,” she said quietly.

I sighed, giving up on the matter for now. One day I was going to have the time to question South on her issues, but that would have to wait till after the Council hearing. Hopefully the Captain was having more luck with the ambassador than I was with South.

---

Shouting. There was a large amount of shouting coming from the ambassadors officer as me and South stepped through the entrance. The room was actually a large veranda with a wide balcony opening out into the Promenade. A large desk sat just in front of the edge, but nopony was sitting at it. Instead I saw a dark tan pony with elegant clothing and a greying black mane standing and shouting at somepony, or something hidden behind a wall. The door slid shut behind us, to which a second pony stepped from behind the obstructing wall. It was Quartermane. He looked tired, but had still had the strength to bring a hoof up to his mouth to signal for us to remain quiet.

We trotted silently towards him and looked around the corner of the room to see what was the focus of the ambassadors ire. “Twenty four hours!” he shouted. “This is absolutely unacceptable! Twenty four hours and no assistance whatsoever from the Council, while the Geld slaughter our ponies like animals.”

I stepped around the corner just in time to see to whom the ambassador was speaking. It was a hologram. A set of projectors sat in a row along the right wall, only one of which was active. The image was of a navy blue Unicorn, dressed in an elegant dress of ruby red. She was shaking her head in an unamused fashion, while the Ambassador continued his tirade.

“The Council would have intervened faster if it were a Unicorn colony, or even a Pegasus colony, while we continued to be treated like second class citizens!”

“The Unicorns,” the hologram snapped. “Or the Pegasi don’t settle colonies so close to the Everfree systems, Ambassador. If not for the sudden appearance of the Geld, it is surprising that we are involved at all.”

The Ambassador sneered. “Yes, the Geld. Far more important a task to round up the renegade synthetics than assist dying colonists, when you could have obliterated the lot of them centuries ago.”

The Ambassador began to pace in front of the image. “A lack of foresight is what allowed the Geld to become a threat in the first place, Councilor and now they are being led by one of your precious Sleipnir like toys.”

The Councilmare raised her hoof for silence. “This meeting is not to discuss the so called actions of Sleipnir Artemis. The testimonies and evidence will be given at the hearing, not before. If that is all you have to ask ambassador, the rest of the Council and I will meet you at the Corral tower in two hours for the hearing. Please don’t be late.”

The projector flickered and the Unicorns’ image was gone. The ambassador stared forward silently for a long time. The scowl on his face had not subsided, nor the angry seething from his nostrils. He eventually rounded to me and South and his face shifted into something I thought to be much scarier; a smile.

“Welllll”, he began with mock sincerity. “If it isn’t the conquering heroes from Equestria Prime! Specialist Shepard and Sergeant Major South, the very ponies who got us into this mess!”

The false kindness in his voice slowly drained away into sincere anger as he trotted slowly towards us. South stood her ground, her face mimicking the Captain's stone faced expression. I, on the other hoof was seriously considering a tactical retreat. The ambassador halted just before Quartermane, but stared at us as he continued talking. “Quartermane, I do hope this isn’t the entire group that ruined this chance for us. I would love to discipline them all at once to save time.”

Quartermane huffed indignantly. “Lieutenant Poindexter is still recovering from the ordeal, you will only have Shepard and South’s testimony at the hearing.”

“Excellent, the words of a soldier and a engineer will weigh magnificently against the words of a Sleipnir at the hearing,” the ambassador groaned sarcastically. He looked straight at me with accusation in his eyes. “You were supposed to be our first step into the Sleipnir, Shepard. Not the one that gets us banned forever. Perhaps I chose too hastily in advancing your dossier to Nimbus. Had I known you would be the one that would get her killed, I would have considered other options.”

“I didn’t get her killed!”

I regretted the words the second they left my mouth, but it was too late now. The ambassador shook his head disappointedly. “Then who else is to blame then, Shepard? Artemis? Do you have any idea how difficult it is to accuse a Sleipnir of a crime and succeed, even with an eye witness? The Council would sooner accuse you of Nimbus’ death and the destruction the Alicorn relic to be done with it, rather than one of their own chosen soldiers. As far as the Council is concerned, the word of a Sleipnir is greater than anypony elses.”

“Whut can we do then?” South asked, looking at Quartermane.

The Captain sighed. “There isn’t much we can do without some solid evidence. C-Sec had made some inquiries on our behalf, but we won’t know what they learned, if anything, until the hearing.”

“Which will be next to nothing if a Sleipnir of Artemis’s caliber has any good sense.” The ambassador added, “Sleipnir are above the law and anything they involve themselves with might as well not exist as credible evidence against them.”

“So basically,” he breathed slowly, adding an air of finality to the conversation. “We have nothing.”

“Then we go in with nothing and hope for the best then?” I said jokingly.

The ambassador did not approve. He trained his scowl directly at me, then looked expectantly at Captain Quartermane. “Perhaps we should go speak with the C-Sec commander and ask them about their findings beforehoof to try and work something out.”

The Captain nodded silently and stood still as the ambassador trotted past him towards the exit. He turned to us once the diplomat was sufficiently away. “There isn’t much more we can do here until the hearing. All I can suggest is you two take this time to explore the promenade a bit more before the Council convenes.”

South and I nodded and Quartermane turned to follow the ambassador. “Aqualia can give you directions when you leave. Just try not to cause any trouble, I don’t think the ambassador needs any more damage control to do for today.” South smirked at the Captains remark and I couldn’t help but join her. He walked out the door and he looked back at us one final time before the door closed, nodding.

South and I stood still in silence for a long while. Growing bored I meandered over to the balcony and looked out over the Promenade. Little had changed in the ten or so minutes since we had entered the embassies from our journey here. There were still droves of ponies and others wandering up and down the lanes, going about their day like nothing was wrong. I envied them of their carefree bliss, if only slightly, because my life was steadily becoming far more complicated than I ever expected it to be. I turned to the sound of hoofsteps, seeing South heading for the door. “Where are you going?”

She looked at me, a pensive look on her face. “I reckon there’s a lot of thinkin’ to do on the subject at hoof, an’ there’s only one place I do any thinkin’.”

She turned away, trotting through the door and before it shut behind her, I heard her shout back. “Ah’m goin’ to get a drink!”

A few moments later, after my brain decided to register what South had said, I dashed to the door to chase after her. Quartermane asked us to stay out of trouble and letting South anywhere near a bar alone sounded like a bad idea.

---

I exited out into the nexus of the embassies and caught up to South, much faster than I thought I would. She had stopped suddenly behind the reception desk and appeared to be listening to a conversation between Aqualia and.....nothing. I stopped beside my eavesdropping companion, looking at her quizzically. She responded with a shrug and looked back to the desk. We stepped around it slowly, listening to the conversation continue.

“I’m sorry, sir.” Aqualia repeated to the unseen conversant, shaking her head. “But I must ask that you do your preaching elsewhere. The embassies are not sanctioned under freedom of religious practices.”

“Oh but you misunderstand,” a calm, nasally voice countered. “My words come from the Founders themselves, surely even you can see their importance, Sea-Clan.”

I made it around the desk to see a short and stout figure standing before the desk, barely standing over its height and straining itself to stand as tall as it could. It was round and furry with a pointed snout with whiskers and wearing a pair of comically large thick lensed goggles. Its short stubby limbs were covered with leathery garb and had a set of spindly digits on each one. I didn’t even know where to begin addressing the oddity of what I was looking at, but South saw fit to let a tiny giggle slip from her mouth.

The creature rounded on us and I saw the tiny pinpricks of its eyes widen considerably in its oversized glasses. He raised an arm at us as if it was....saluting?

“Hail to you, members of the Earth-Clan!” he praised, his voice rising slightly in excitement. He flourished his statement with a little bow. “It pleases this member of the Mole-Clan to be in the presence of a fellow earth dweller. How may I be of service to you?”

I looked at this tiny creature addressing me and wondered who was slowly going crazier. “Members of what-clan?” I asked, a look of obvious perplexment on my face.

“Ahem,” Aqualia intervened. “The Mole Clan Collective tend to revere those who live close to the earth as they do. They were...how do I put this?” she paused, scratching her chin thoughtfully with her silver hoof. “Ah, yes. Optimistically overjoyed, when the Earth Ponies joined the Corral.”

“I see...” My face scrunched in confusion. A race of creatures that revered us because we lived on the ground? I looked again at this... Mole. Despite his height, he did appear to have very strong arms and the digits on his... paws I think they were called, looked like they were made for digging. But the fact that these stout little diggers respected us so much out of a shared connection to the ground we walked on was a bit much. I for one was glad when I broke free of Earth and came out here into space.

“Whut are th’ Founders?” South asked.

Aqualia chuckled softly. “It’s a play on the word foundation. You have to start from the ground up and you always start with the foundation. The Founders, as the Mole-Clans put it, are the creators of everything, a race of beings that predate even the Alicorns.”

“If I may correct you, Sea-Clan,” the Mole intoned. “But Founders are far more than idle trivia and I would ask that you do not assume them as such.”

The Mole turned back to us, pointing a long crooked claw at the Sea-Pony. “I ask of you, benevolent Earth-Clans, to explain to this creature to allow me to spread my gospel without incident.”

I wasn’t much for religion,and this mole wasn’t helping his case much. I did not appreciate his condescending tone towards Aqualia and even South looked indignant towards his rudeness towards the ever kind receptionist. Aqualia shook her head and sighed quietly. “I have a great deal of respect for the beliefs of others, even my own kind has a variety of the theology.”

She raised a hoof, pointing out a sign that redundantly reminded us where we were. “But this is the Corral embassies. This is the only place that religious preaching isn’t allowed, because this is where all of the Corral races meet and discuss between themselves, without religious persecution or bullying.” She directed her final comment with a stern glare at the mole, who crossed his stubby arms solemnly.

“The last thing the Council wants is an incident between the many races that live here over a difference of faith. Can you please convince him to leave?” she pleaded. “He will listen to you.”

I looked tentatively at her, then at the squat little thing that was staring at me expectantly. His stance had not changed and was still actively ignoring Aqualia’s presence. I had no idea what she expected me to do, I’d never dealt with religious fanatics before and I’d probably end up making it worse before I made it any better. But I guess I had to start somewhere.

“Tell me about the Founders,” I asked, moving towards him. “What are they like?”

The mole looked like he had been waiting all day for somepony to ask that question. He uncrossed his arms and raised them into the air, waving them excitedly. “The Founders are the origin of existence itself. They are beings that we, as lesser creatures will never hope to understand. They exist beyond the veil of time and space itself and it is by their very minds that we are allowed to exist.”

He took a moment to breathe, his snout making a labored snorting sounds with each breath. “We exist because the Founders will it and we exists for them to observe their creations.”

If I was supposed to be learning something new, it wasn’t happening. The Founders sounded like any other deity I’d ever heard of, just with a different name. This mole-prophet, if thats how he would refer to himself, was probably just as intent at spreading his gospel as any other religious fanatic. I needed something else if I was going to have any chance at dissuading him. “Why do the Founders observe us?”

“They observe from beyond our sight, so that they can learn from our experiences of how we live our lives, so that they may better themselves.”

Wait, what? I looked at the mole intently, but his expression was completely serious. At least I think it was. Those inch thick goggles were not making it easy to read him. “Why would. All powerful beings. Need to better themselves?” I asked staggeredly.

The mole did not waver for a second. “There are always lessons to be learned, knowledge to be found, skills to be mastered. Even for the Founders.” he remarked, shaking a claw at me. “They have faltered from their destined path and so they created us as a means to return. It is through their observations of our harmonious existence that they may return to grace.”

The only destiny I felt like embellishing was the headache I was no doubt fated to have at this very moment. This mole seemed prepared to continue all day if he wanted to. I saw that Aqualia’s smile had finally faded into a disapproving frown, signaling to me that this needed to end. The tale of the Founders had its share of absurdities, but at least he finally gave me something I could work with. “Now explain something to me,” I said calmly, matching the tone of the stout preacher. “If the Founders endeavor to learn from our ‘harmonious’ existence, wouldn’t your actions here serve to defy them?”

He shook his head. “That is the very reason I am here. To spread the word of the Founders to all, so none fall from their loving gaze.” He cast a claw upwards, pointing at nothing.

“But, as the kindly receptionist here has stated,” I countered. “Your being here could cause an interspecies conflict. That doesn’t sound very harmonious to me.”

He pointed an accusatory claw at Aqualia, who shirked away from the gangly appendage. “They have yet to see the truth and do not know the true grace of the Founders. They believe the Alicorn’s are their true forbears, but it was the Founders that created them, as they did us.”

“So you are saying that we worship the Alicorns as false gods?”

He shook his finger at me. “Not at all. The Alicorn’s were the first to be given life by the Founders. They are their chosen ones, and the Mole-Clan revere them as strongly as any race. But it is the accomplishments of the Founders that is truly worthy of praise. Without them, we would not exist and the harmonious existence they had planned would crumble to nothing.”

I smirked. “But your rudeness towards another species just because they don’t live on or in the ground doesn’t sound very harmonious to me.” I approached him slowly and placed a hoof on his shoulder. “Are you sure you aren’t going about this the wrong way?”

He did not answer. He simply stood there, staring at me intently. His nose whistled slightly as he breathed, the nasally sound the only thing disturbing the relative peace around me.

“Why do you seek to dissuade me from my task, Earth-Clan? Have you too not heard the word of the Founders?”

I shook my head. “I’m not trying to dissuade you on proclaiming your faith, but I would assume that even the Founders had rules and followed them. It is no place of mine or anypony to step over your faith, but we all our own rules to follow.”

“What would you have me do then, Earth-Clan? If they would not listen to the word of the Founders here, then where would they?”

I shrugged. “I don’t know. The Corral is a large place, and I’m certain you could find a perfect place to do your preaching without risking a conflict.”

“You could try the terraces around the Promenade”, Aqualia added. “Many ponies walk through those areas daily. It would be the perfect audience.” The mole didn’t make any indication that he had heard her, but I could see that the idea had made it through his mind regardless.

The mole was quiet. He scratched his chin, thinking deeply.

“Perhaps...” he began slowly. “There is merit to your claims, Earth-Clan.” He bowed away, breaking my grasp of him and stepped from the desk. “Perhaps I have sullied the good word of the Founders and must rethink my gospel.” He waddled away, not uttering another word. I sighed in relief at diffusing the situation and turned to Aqualia.

She was clapping her hooves together, which made gentle clinking noises. Her kindly smile returned and I felt a tinge of happiness wash over me as it did. There was something hypnotic about this sea-pony that made it impossible to be upset with her nearby and I was grateful for that feeling.

“Well done!” she chirped. “You have no idea how relieved I am to have him leave willingly. I would have hated to call C-Sec on the poor thing.”

“Ya didn’t seem that way b’fore,” South chided.

The soldier mare did little to dull Aqualia’s mood. She merely held the smile and looked at my companion. “It was unfortunately my duty to enforce that silly rule, but that doesn’t make it any less mean to have him carted away. He was only doing what he believed in and you can’t fault him for that.”

“No,” South said agreedly. “I don’t suppose Ah could.”

South looked away and kicked the ground quietly, having been caught in her own self righteousness. Aqualia paid no attention to her and looked back at me. “Now then, Shepard was it? I do believe I will have to owe you something for your help.”

I’d been only on the Corral for an hour or so and was already accruing favors from its populous. Things were certainly looking up. Being in a generous mood, I decided to indulge in my companions prior aspiration. “I’ll have to hold you to that at some point, I’m sure. But for now, could you direct me and my friend to the nearest bar? I believe some victory drinks are in order.” I finished with a silly little victory pose, to which Aqualia swiftly giggled. I wasn’t sure if South had noticed, because she had softly trotted away into the walkways, leaving me alone, again.

“Well let me see...” she began, looking at her computer. “I suppose you could try the Den. Its the closest to walk to, though it is technically part of the Warrens. If you just keep going along the path till the first entrance to the Warrens you see, it will be there. You can’t miss it.”

I nodded and dashed away to catch up with South, saying a few quick goodbyes to the friendly sea-pony. Thankfully South had gone in the right direction and was moving at a moderate pace. I walked astride her and pointed out the directions that Aqualia had given me. She gave me a funny look. “Ah didn’t figure you for th’ drinkin’ type, Shepard.”

I chuckled. “I’m not really, but after what’s happened today, I think I could use a drink too.”

For the first time since I’d known her, South actually laughed. It was a simple little chuckle, but it was better than nothing. We carried on with our friendly giggles as we walked down the endless ivory path and down towards the Warrens.

---

Codex Entries Added:

Race: Sea-Pony

Race: Mole-Clan

The Promenade

You’re going to Love and Tolerate! :Renegade Points Earned

Peace-Keeper :Paragon Points Earned

Comments

[The Apphole]

I should be finishing my Summer Reading, but here I am reading this gem...

I thank you for subtly addressing those awful elevator rides. Easily one of the worst parts of the game.

I didn't think you could make me dislike the ambassador more than I do. At least Udina was willing to only hate on the Council. This guy needs a good thrashing.

South's going to have a heart attack when she has to team up with Firestorm (excellent name, by the way).

Another great chapter and that, but I do have a question. Is that stupid Paragon/Renegade going to play any part in this story? I always hated the "My diplomacy skills aren't good enough because I didn't spec my points right! Oh well, better get my gun ready!" aspect in ME.

Also, how'd that submission go? Do the pre-readers take time to get to every story?

[G S tol Kriaal]

Okay, so:
Earth ponies = humans
pegasi = Turians
unicorns = Asari
alicorns = Protheans
diamond dogs = ??
moles = Hanar/Volus combos?

[Quillery]

1069931

I cant say the moles are as clear cut as that, but it is a close assumption. The moles were the only race I planned to just make up for the sake of the story. People have told me that diamond dogs should end up standing in for Volus, but I have a far more interesting idea for them, so stay tuned! If you wanted to go race to race as stand ins, the sea-ponies are technically the Hanar, but they wont be as culturally weird.

Inb4 Transcendant Sea-Pony Lyra Fangasms

[Loyal2Luna]

YIPE! How did I miss TWO consecutive posts on this one?! Okay, Gotta read this now! RIGHT NOW!

fc06.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2012/103/c/8/pinkie_pie___they_wrote_what____animated_by_goblinengineer-d4vwca5.gif

[Loyal2Luna]

Wow, has it been that long since I started. Been up and down all day reading this bit by bit.

OKAY, thoughts.

Love how much depth Shepard is getting, and that you're showing him taking some renegade points. The new species also intrigue me and are definately not what I saw coming... the Volus/Hanar/Mole composition character I thought was spot on, although for some reason I kept hearing the voice of Mr. Mole from 'Wind in the Willows' (The clayamation version)
Ahhh Firestorm, I know you're a colt and I know who you're part of, but I can't help but hear a certain rainbowmaned pegasus when I read your lines.

Yeah, I don't blame shepard at all, I probably spent more time talking to characters and getting every possible codex page than I did fighting in ME1. I hope he has time to ping the V.I. later to geek out over.
SEA-PONY!!!

I can't 'wait' to see what the stand in is for the Salarian and Krogans. Ooooohhh Dragons would make great Krogan.
Okay, need to focus... another chapter... ONWARD!