Spacebound Equestria: Fall of a Nation

by TheMajorTechie

Safe

Twilight sat silently in the corner of the room, waiting for any sign of consciousness from the fallen princess. It had been days now since the last sign of activity, and watching over the princess had become a boring and tedious chore.

Currently, the unicorn was reading through the twenty-second edition of "Universal Physics and the Properties that Define Them". Suddenly, from the corner of her eye, she saw what appeared to be movement. Gasping quietly, the mare rushed to the bedside, gazing down upon the princess.

Celestia groaned. She turned to the other side of the bed, batting at Twilight with a hoof.

She then slowly opened her eyes, gazing lazily towards the window in the room.

"Princess?" Twilight asked softly, prodding the alicorn with a hoof, "Are you feeling any better?"

Surprisingly, Celestia jerked upright, startling Twilight and throwing her off balance. "I'm... awake?" she questioned, eyeing the mare that was currently splayed out on the floor. She glanced about the room, taking in her surroundings. "Was it just a dream?"

"What dream?" Twilight grunted, lifting herself up. "The one with Sombra in it that your sister saw?"

Celestia shook her head. "It's hard to recall already. I swear that it was real, even. I just don't remember..."

"It may have something to do with dark magic, Princess." Twilight replied, pointing out the nearly unnoticeable traces of residual dark magic in the air. They were far dimmer than before, and were already fading. Likely due to their host now being awake and in control of herself.

"Yes, I see. Must I ask why you wear that suit?"

Twilight replied with a deadpan glare, followed by a hoof pointed towards a wisp of magic hovering nearby.

"Ah. Alright. May I see my sister anytime soon?"

Twilight nodded, dialing in the number for the hospital staff.

---

Well, I guess it's hello back to the Crystal Empire. Though, I'm still not entirely certain on whether or not we'd ever be returning after this trip. Since the last time I had set hoof in the empire, the snow had accumulated enough additional layers to stand at roughly the same height as many of the smaller structures in the marketplace. The few ponies I saw along the way to the camps were typically too busy clearing paths and digging tunnels to notice me or the strange ponies that I led.

Eventually after quite a few mishaps relating to the low density of the snow, most of the aid workers simply gave up in attempting to trudge through the snow, and opted instead to find a clear path. Of course, since the camp was the only habitable area left in the area, it wasn't hard to find one that led directly to the heart of the city.

Jewel and I personally led the way, navigating the vast labyrinth of tunnels and trenches until we found ourselves at the Faust-forsaken camp. there were far fewer ponies than before, since many had likely died in the time we spent in Canterlot. My suspicions were confirmed upon seeing a pair of stallions hauling a frozen corpse into one of the tunnels.

"Attention please!" I shouted once we had reached the center podium of snow. It had already been quiet before, but as my voice echoed throughout the camp, it became eerily silent. "I come bringing news of Equestria's return. These ponies you see with me bring food and supplies. We will depart by train for Canterlot after rations are passed."

There was a low murmur passed along from tent to tent. Many ponies had given up on daily life, opting instead to conserve energy through sleep. Slowly but surely, as the word began spreading like wildfire, a collective cheer began to increase in volume, until the entire camp had found itself filled with joy and laughter.

I smiled. No longer would these ponies have to suffer another frigid night, or any sort of freezing storm. Now, with the prospect of escape from the Empire, I could tell that they had collectively regained their strength, their hope.

The Crystal Ponies are safe.

---

Safe.

That's all I can think about right now. No more demons. No more running. Just a vast, desolate wasteland, all to ourselves.

I turned to the pile of ponies that were my friends. Anicetus, the figure of light, continued peering over the landscape.

I nudged Lightning Rod with my hoof. "Get up, lazybones. We're in another universe. Again."

Lightning groaned, tumbling from the pile. "I'm not lazy," he murmured, "and you always call me Lightning, don't you? It's Electro."

I ignored his complaining, and pulled Fusebox and Sine up. The two were still out cold, but it doesn't really matter for now. Judging from the surroundings, we're near the border between the Badlands and Equestria. So yeah, pretty safe as far as safe goes for us.