To Earth
“What were you thinking?”
“That’s what Rose said.”
“You’re an idiot!”
“Yes, Rose also said that.”
“Do you know the chances of surviving a stunt like that?”
“Yes, Rose spoke of that as well.” I sat up in my hospital bed, getting stared down at by an angry Twilight, and a livid Rainbow Dash.
“You could have killed yourself!”
I smirked. “Are you sure you aren’t a parrot?” I got a smack on the shoulder for that, and I groaned in pain. “Seriously. Hurt patient here!”
“Yeah, yeah, complain AFTER I’ve laid into you, moron.”
“Yeah, Rose called me that, too.”
“AND SHE WAS RIGHT!”
...Couldn’t really argue with that.
Twilight stepped in, and restrained the sputtering cyan mare.
“Alright, Rainbow, you’ve made your point.” Rainbow reluctantly stepped away, but not before shooting me a withering glare.
I’m beginning to suspect that she might be jealous that I almost managed to pull off that stunt. Note to self, use as ribbing fodder for later.
“Anyways,” Twilight lifted a piece of parchment and a quill in her magic. “I meant to ask if you’d had a chance to speak with Rose about the expedition?”
I cringed. Crap. I forgot about that. “Sorry, no. I kinda meant to, but, well...” I gestured to the hospital bed.
Twilight facehooved. “I see. Well, seeing as how you are in your current predicament, I think it might be a good idea to get someone else to go to Earth instead of you.”
I swallowed, disappointed, but I had to concede that her reasoning made sense. I nodded. “Yeah. I guess so. If I may make a suggestion?” Twilight’s ears perked up at that. “Percy.”
Twilight tilted her head, and wrote something down on the parchment. “I suppose that would work. Is there any particular reason why him?”
I shrugged. “He’s strong, dependable, and probably has the most leadership potential of all of us. He can be a little blunt and harsh, but that can work to your advantage in a difficult environment like Earth. He is also more used to a bipedal body than most of us.” Twilight hummed, and brought the quill up to her chin in thought. She tapped it against her lips a few times before nodding.
“Percy it is, then. Can I count on you to speak to Rose about this?”
I shrugged. “I guess. Rose and I are on better terms now, but she might still refuse.”
“Might refuse what?” We all turned as Rose pushed open the door to the hospital room.
Speak of her, and she shall appear.
“What’s going on?” The light blue mare stepped into the room, and paused when she saw Twilight, her expression souring. “And what’s she doing here?”
I sighed. “Rose, this is Princess Twilight. From Equestria. The alicorn of friendship. Don’t confuse her with Twi from the other world.”
Rose’s eyes narrowed as she scrutinized Twilight, before nodding. “Sorry. I thought you were someone else.” She raised a hoof, grasping Twilight’s own. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Princess. I’m Rose Williams.”
Twilight shook the offered hoof. “Just Twilight is fine, and I’m very happy to meet you, too. I’m sorry it couldn’t have been under better circumstances.”
Rainbow Dash watched the interaction between the two mares with some interest, before leaning over to me and whispering; “So. Are you and Rose, like...” She bumped her hooves together meaningfully. If I’d been drinking water, I would have spat it out. As it was, I settled on choking on my own mucus.
Gross. The mucus; not Rose. “Rainbow, Rose is my stylist. We’re friends. Also both formerly human.”
Rainbow smirked, and poked me in the ribs, which elicited a pained groan from me. “Oh, really? You’re nothing more?”
“Nope.” Doesn’t mean I’m not interested... dang it, mind! My face reddened, and I waved a hoof in the air, dispelling the traitorous thought, much to Rainbow Dash’s delight. Mares.
Our conversation was interrupted by Twilight; “Well, that’s the basics of the expedition. Are you in?”
Rose rubbed her chin thoughtfully, her voice betraying her nervousness. “I... I’d get to see Earth again, right?” Twilight nodded, and Rose contemplated the decision. “...Who else is going?” My heart dropped, and I exchanged a nervous glance with Twilight, which Rose seemed to pick up on. “Wait. Is she going, too?”
I reluctantly nodded, while Twilight attempted to explain; “We need Twi, Rose. We’ve been working on this together for months now, and she’s indispensable for this trip.”
Rose glanced between Twilight and I, our faces hopeful, and pleading.
“Please, Rose. I know you’re angry with her, but can you at least work with Twi on this?”
The redheaded mare sighed. “Fine. I can’t say I’m happy about it, but if it means that I get to see Earth one last time, then I’ll deal with it.”
I breathed out a sigh of relief, my expression mirrored by Twilight’s own.
“Well then, I guess we need to talk about preparations, then.”
Rainbow Dash and I tuned out Twilight and Rose as they discussed the next few days, which gave Rainbow Dash the opportunity for more ribbing.
“So... have you asked her out yet?”
I rolled my eyes. “No, I haven’t.”
The chromatic-maned mare rolled her hoof. “Soooo... are you going to?”
“I don’t know, Rainbow. I’m not even sure I think of her in that way.”
“Dude, you ended up in the hospital for a chance to speak to her.”
I paused. “I... huh.”
“If that isn’t a sign of attraction, I don’t know what is.”
She... actually makes a good point. “Look, I don’t know, Rainbow. Maybe some time in the future? I’m not sure if I’m ready for that yet.”
Rainbow sighed exasperatedly. “It’s pretty obvious you like her, and I’m pretty sure she likes you. Don’t wait too long, or you might never get the chance.”
I groaned. “Alright, fine. I’ll ask her. You happy?”
“As a tornado in a trailer park.”
I blinked. “Where did you hear that expression?”
“A certain one of your siblings uses that phrase every once in a while. I just kinda picked it up, I guess.” She rubbed the back of her head in embarrassment.
I shook my head. “Do you even know what that phrase means?”
“I don’t know what a trailer park is, but tornadoes are awesome!”
What have we unleashed upon this world?
3 Days Later
“Everypony has their gear?” A chorus of ‘mhm’s and ‘yesses’ met Twilight’s question, and she nodded firmly. “Okay. Twi and I have calibrated the portal so that we will all transform into bipedal forms when we travel over onto Earth, and our clothing will change with us to accommodate our new forms. The moment we cross over, we’re all going to be a little disoriented, so we’ll need to take some time to get used to our new forms before we continue with the expedition, especially for those of us who have not had a bipedal form in a long time. Percy will be leading, and Ixisten will be second to him; They have the most experience with Earth’s atmosphere and terrain, so whatever they say goes. Your radiation suits have been lined with a crystal that Twi and I have found to absorb radiation, but as a precaution we’ve included a crystal watch that shows the radiation levels inside your suit, according to the colour of the crystal. The darker the crystal, the more radiation there is. If your crystal detects dangerous levels of radiation, it will emit a high-pitched frequency that will alert us to the danger. If that happens, I’ve packed extra crystals into your bags that we can use to reduce the radiation levels in your suits. Any other questions?”
The group looked at one another, but no one spoke up.
“Okay. Percy, If you will?”
Percy zipped up his radiation suit, slung the bag over his back, and sucked in a nervous breath. Without a word, he stepped up to the portal, which was shimmering slightly, and looked behind him at the rest of the group, making sure they were all there. He furrowed his brow, and stepped through the portal.
“Alright, who’s not dead? Sound off!”
Groans filled the air, and someone could be heard muttering about portal sickness.
Percy stood, swaying on his legs before quickly regaining his balance. His Earth body was slightly different than his EQG body. Mainly it wasn’t quite as slim, and his legs were shorter. He grunted, and glanced up, taking stock of everyone. He counted heads to make sure everyone was there. All accounted for. Rose seemed to be having difficulty standing, though Ixisten and Twilight were helping her. Twi stood awkwardly off to the side, watching with a pained expression. Right.
Percy checked his radiation watch, and examined the immediate area they’d landed in. It looked like the portal had formed in a bricked, empty doorway. The ground around them was littered with rubble, and small flakes of ash drifted past them, blown up by the wind. The ground was devoid of any sort of life, and the sky was a dark grey colour. Small flashes of lightning lit up the western horizon.
A storm, maybe? We should probably find shelter, and fast. “Okay, guys, we need to get moving as soon as possible. It looks like some rough weather might be on the way, and I don’t know how the nuclear explosions might have changed the weather patterns. We need to find shelter as soon as possible.”
Ixisten pushed his shoulder under Rose’s arm, and lifted her to her feet. “Rose still doesn’t know how to walk yet. I’ll help her get to wherever we’re going.”
Percy nodded. “It’ll slow us down, but there’s not much we can do about it. Just do the best you can, Rose.” He looked around, spotting a nearby chunk of what looked like concrete. Maybe an old building of some kind? Maybe it could be used as temporary shelter. He looked back up at the sky, taking note that the lightning seemed to be getting closer, along with what looked like a storm front. He cursed, glancing back at the portal, which shimmered slightly before winking out of existence. The safest choice would be to go back through, but reactivating the portal would use up a massive amount of energy, and it would be a while before they’d be able to make the trip to Earth again. The decision warred inside Percy. He needed to make a decision, and fast. “Twi, can you get some idea of what might be in that storm? Is it something that might be dangerous to us?”
Twi pulled out a device. Percy had no idea what it was for, though the multiple warning flashes and red lights it started to emit upon the teenager pointing it at the storm didn’t bode well, and the subsequent paling of Twi’s complexion didn’t help matters.
“Twi? What’s in that storm?”
At Percy’s question, the entire group turned to look at Twi, anticipating her answer with bated breath.
“This... This shouldn’t be possible!” She exclaimed, her eyes nearly bulging from her face. “That storm has wind speeds exceeding 300 kilometers an hour, with gusts up to and exceeding 600 kilometers per hour! If that storm hits us, we’re going to be shredded to pieces, not to mention the elevated levels of radiation in that behemoth!”
Percy made a decision. “That’s it, I’m pulling the plug; we’re going back to Equestria. Twilight, Twi, get the portal up and running. We’ll have to come back after the storm has passed.”
Rose sharply turned to Percy, a look of desperation on her face. “But...”
“No.”, Interrupted Percy. “I won’t put anyone’s lives in jeopardy over this. We’re going back, and that’s final.”
Rose glared at Percy, but sighed in acceptance. “Fine, but I want to be the first to come back.”
Ixisten patted Rose on the shoulder sympathetically. “Next time, Rose. Earth isn't going anywhere.”
As the Twilights set up the power-up device for the portal, Percy watched the incoming wall of debris, uncomfortable with how fast it was closing in on them.
“How long until that portal is up, girls? That storm is coming in fast.”
“Approximately 60 seconds. The power crystals need to warm up before we use them, or they might crack and fail.”
Percy grunted. “We might not have a minute. If you can do anything to speed it up, you’d better do it, and do it fast.” His heart started beating faster in his chest, the rhythmic pumping pulsing in his head as he saw something very large and very solid get picked up by the storm, and flung high into the air as if it were nothing. He eyed the concrete outcropping near to their position, realizing that it wouldn’t do anything to protect them if they were forced to hide under it. “Girls...”
“We’re working as fast as we can!”
Percy swallowed, a ball of tension forming in the back of his throat. He stepped over to the group. “The moment that portal opens, we go through. Don’t bother taking anything with you; leave everything behind. It’ll only slow us down. Twilights, make sure that once we’re through you guys close the portal as quickly as possible. I don’t want anything coming through after us.”
Apart from the Twilights, who were frantically getting the portal working, the group nodded their assent, faces fearful.
“...Hey!”
Percy’s head jerked up. “Did you guys hear that?” He looked around.
Ixisten swivelled his head around. “Hear what?”
Percy’s eyes widened, trying to see his surroundings better. He cursed his nearsightedness. Should have brought my glasses. “I swore I heard someone yelling.”
“Portal will be open in 20 seconds!” Shouted Twi.
“Hey, you guys!”
Rose’s head jerked in surprise. “Okay, I heard that.”
“Yeah. Me, too. Someone is living out here?!” Ixisten looked shocked. Percy couldn’t blame him.
Percy cupped his hands around his mouth. “We’re over here! Are you okay?”
“You guys need to get out of there! The storm will rip you apart!”
“Ten seconds!” Yelled Twilight.
Percy tried to identify the direction of the voice. “We’ll be okay, we have somewhere to escape to!” He deliberately avoided mentioning the portal. No need to make them sound crazier than they already were. “Where are you?” Percy felt a strange tingling as the portal behind him opened. Without another word, Percy pushed the two Twilights through, ignoring their shouts of protest.
“Over here!”
Percy could vaguely make out a figure through the growing wind kicking up the dust on the ground.
“I have a shelter over here!”
Percy glanced at the group, then at the portal, before turning around, and shoving Ixisten and Rose toward the portal. “Go!”
Ixisten resisted. “What about you?”
Percy snarled. “I’m going to talk to him.” He pointed a finger at the figure in the distance, and then without another word, pushed a protesting Ixisten and Rose through the portal before turning on his heel. He sprinted toward the figure, sparing a moment to glance at the approaching storm wall.
I hope I make it. It occurred to him that this may not have been the smartest choice, but his decision had already been made; now he had to live with the consequences.
Percy slid to a stop next to the figure, who gestured to a hatch in the ground. Without question, Percy jumped down the hole, descending the metal ladder as quickly as he could to make room for the mysterious man, who jumped in after him, barely managing to get the hatch closed and locked before the storm wall hit.
The two breathed heavily, regaining their energy.
“Hey, um... you mind climbing down?”
Percy jerked out of his post-adrenaline daze. He apologized, and descended the ladder. As he stepped onto the floor, making room for the figure behind him, Percy cast his gaze over the room around him. It appeared to be some sort of airlock chamber, with a waterproofed panel with some sort of controls on it. Percy spun around, taking it all in. “What is this place?”
The man stepped over to a door, wearily closing it behind them, sealing the two into the room, blocking any sort of escape. This made Percy somewhat uncomfortable, but the man hadn’t yet done anything to harm him, so he chose to trust the mysterious figure.
“A fallout shelter. This room is the anti-radiation chamber. Hold on a second, I’m going to get it going. Have you ever been in one of these before?”
Percy shook his head ‘no’.
“Ah, well, don’t be surprised when a large amount of foam comes out of these.” The man pointed to a series of nozzles sticking out of the roof. “It’s a chemical agent that neutralizes radiation. Don’t take your suit off until the machine washes the foam off, though; The stuff stings if it gets on bare skin.”
Percy nodded, and the man placed his hand on the controls to the room. True to the man’s word, Percy was covered in a thick layer of pink foam, briefly obscuring his vision, before a strong jet of water washed it off. A light in the corner of the room flashed green before a door on the opposite side of the room opened electronically.
The man stepped through the door, waving for Percy to follow. “Watch your step. There’s quite the door sill here; A manufacturing error in my opinion. Probably why dad got the bunker for so cheap.”
Percy tilted his head in confusion. The man’s father? Could there be others here? Distracted by his thoughts, Percy caught a foot on the door sill, stumbling before being caught by the mysterious figure, who chuckled. Percy took note that the man was nearly equal to his height, and fairly stocky.
“I told you to watch out for the door sill. You know how many times I tripped on that stupid thing? Out here, an injury like that can be deadly.” The man let go of Percy, and sat on a bench, motioning for Percy to join him. “We can leave our suits here. I don’t want to spend another minute in this thing.” He began to remove his seemingly oversized suit, starting with his helmet.
Percy froze. The man looked familiar. It couldn’t be. “Meadows? Broad Meadows? Is that you?”
The man blinked. “Do I know you?”
Percy reached up, and removed his helmet. “It’s me, Percy, your cousin!”
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