Chapter 8: Bittersweet Melody
I caught up with my friends as they finished packing their things and moving to the ramp, all crew who wanted to stay with us were doing the same. I took a deep breath and sighed, looking back to the ship. I couldn’t help but feel like we were losing something important, our first home.
“You good Sweetie?” I heard from behind, turning to see Alabaster as he approached, he was frowning and looked rather distraught.
“Yeah, I think so, you?” I said back, sitting and rubbing at the back of my head.
“Nothing worth talking about, have you seen Midas?” He said, taking a quick look around, almost as though he was nervous.
“No, why?”
“Because he’s hiding from her,” Autumn said as she came up behind him. “Seems they had a little fight while they were packing.”
“How did you kn-” Alabaster started to say before Autumn simply put a hoof to his muzzle.
“We’re girls, on a ship, we talk ” Autumn said with a laugh. “It’s really no big deal, She’ll forgive you in time”
“Do I even want to know?” I said with a nervous smile.
“Not really.” Both Alabaster and Autumn said together.
“So, uh…” I said, with a sigh. “Has anyone seen Cloud Chaser?”
“After her outburst on the bridge, no, she went to her room and hasn’t been out since,” Autumn said, her concern starting to show. “Which, is really unusual for her, she’d usually be out here cracking jokes”
“She wouldn’t…. You know?” Alabaster said with a frown.
“Canterlot Ghoul, unless she has a guillotine in there she’s not got anything on this ship capable of killing her,” Autumn said, shaking her head. “Don’t feel bad, I worried about that too.”
“Maybe we should go check on her?” I said, with a nervous chuckle, getting back to my hooves and moving towards the rear of the ship. “I want to, I feel like a part of this is my fault and I want to make this better.”
“Sweetie, that is not the best of ideas.” Autumn said as she chased after me, “Cric-... I mean, Cloud Chaser has her very own unique way of dealing with things, and she is best left alone when she is doing them.”
“She is back here doing this because of me, I’m not going to sit by and let someone I think of as my friend beat themselves up when I can be there helping them through this.” I said, looking back at her, “I’ve got to make this right.”
Autumn stopped and just stared at me, shaking her head before she turned and went back to where she had left Alabaster.
Stopping outside this door, I gulped, looking up at it I felt like there could be any number of things behind it, who knew what she could be doing in there and with what Autumn said, I really started to have second thoughts.
Raising my hoof to knock on the door, just before I could though I heard a voice from inside.
“Go away toaster.”
“Cloud Chaser? Please open the door?” I said, with a sigh. “I’m sorry for what I said on the bridge, I didn’t know about your past, I still don’t but I didn’t mean to throw salt on old wounds.”
“Go. Away. Toaster.” She said back, I could hear loud clanging noises from beyond the door, I admit a mixture of fear and curiosity was getting to me.
“No, I’m not going anywhere, I have to make this right,” I said with a sigh, finally working up the courage to knock on the door. “Please, just open the door and let us talk, okay?”
Just after that, a slam, then hoofsteps. Stopping just outside the door before I could hear a few clicks before the door finally opened.
“A bucket of bolts with a conscience, that’s a new one.” She said with a frown. “I told you to go away, you’re in risky territory.”
“I rather take whatever you want to give for my overstepping, but I can’t live with myself knowing I hurt a pony I consider a friend,” I said, stepping inside. I could see several things laying around the room, most notably a pile of old damaged power armor in a corner of the room.
“Out with it, no pony’s my friend.” She said, sitting down back on the edge of her bed, finally, I could see what that noise was, she had some sort of work out equipment, weights of some sort and she was pulling on this handle.
“I don’t think so,” I said, shaking my head and sitting across the room from her. “Look, I know it’s hard but I really think you shou-”
“Shut up.” She said, cutting me off.
“No, I really think you shou-”
“Shut up you worthless tin can.” She said back, cutting me off again. This time letting go of the handle and standing, staring me in the face. “I don’t want to hear the words ‘it’s hard’ from you, do you even begin to comprehend what that means.”
“I do, but…” I said, backing up a little.
“No, You don’t, You don’t know what it’s like to hold your son as he takes his final breaths, you don’t know what it’s like to be surrounded by the dying groans and moans of your friends and family, you don’t know what it’s like to think you’re the only one left for two hundred years.” Cloud Chaser said, each time taking a step closer to me. “Those Goddamn princesses, they knew that the Pegasi were vulnerable, that the cloud cities had no defenses, they knew but they didn’t invest in protecting them.”
“Cloud Chaser… I… I’m sorry” I said, scooting away just a little more.
“They wanted their war, they wanted a loyal army, they thought a few cloud cities gone and that’d be that, right? Wrong.” She said, her voice getting louder and louder the closer she came. “So next time you say you know it’s hard, scrapheap, know what the hell you’re talking about because what you think is hard, is easy, what is really hard is being there and suffering through things that no pony should ever have to suffer.”
“Clou-” I started to say before she put her hoof to my muzzle to silence me.
“That name does not fit or work.” She said, a growl in her voice. “I dropped my old name because I thought this new time was better, but no, the Enclave still kick me around like the dog they never wanted, they tell me things, promise me things and take them away, so you know what? Screw them.”
“Then what do I call you?” I said, with a nervous gulp, which just brought a wicked grin to that old mare’s face.
“The one true name, the only name that fits.” She said, before laughing. “I am Cricket, no more, no less, got that”
“Y-yes ma’am,” I said, before stumbling to my hooves and rushing to the door.
“And remember one thing, toaster.” She said as she followed me over. “When the crying is over, when the groans and wails of the dying stop, only the sounds of crickets are left.”
I swear, I had never been more scared of a pony in my life, I kept feeling like this had to be another nightmare, that I’d wake up any moment and everything would be fine, but as the door opened and I fell over onto my back outside it, the glare in her eyes told me this was real, and I needed to get used to it.
The door slammed shut as she turned around, and my friends stood feet away and looked to me.
“Told you not to go,” Autumn said with a sigh before she came over and helped me to my hooves.
“I know but I-” I said before she softly hugged me.
“That was stupid Sweets, I get it, you’re like a baby in the wasteland, but going up to her is like trying to give a hellhound a hug, never going to end well,” Midas said, lightly tapping on the wall.
“I just thought I could help, I made her this way, she was just fine till I said the wrong thing!” I said, pushing Autumn away. “If I can’t trust myself to say the right thing or being unable to make things better when things go wrong, how can I trust myself to even fulfill what I am supposed to be doing in this world”
“Sweetie, you need to calm down,” Autumn said, refusing to let go of me. “You’re freaked and scared and I get that, but doubting everything you know and love, is not a good place to be at, especially from this. She was already on the way to this, you just dumped a little fuel on the fire.”
“But I…” I said, stuttering and struggling to find words
“But nothing Sweets,” Midas said, coming over and kneeling down. “You poked the bear, and the bear poked back, you didn’t do anything wrong, nothing that neither of us hasn’t tried before and learned the same lesson the hard way.”
“Come on, let’s go back to the galley,” Autumn said, gently pulling me down the hallway. Still reluctantly following. “I don’t know if you can eat this, but I have some chocolate Ice cream left over from my birthday.”
00000
Hours passed, and I sat staring down that ramp, we had only just gotten this ship and it was already being taken away, but I felt like we were losing more. Ponies coming and going, carrying crates and boxes down the ramp, it started to dawn on me that this was more than just me and my friend's personal belongings. Jumping to my hooves to rush out the door.
Once standing at the opening, I realized what had been happening in my haze. Nearly every crew member had packed up their things and left the ship, piles of crates and boxes dotted the landing site, I couldn’t help but smile as Autumn saw me standing there and started to come over.
“I, I never expected more than just us to leave,” I said, looking to Autumn
“We’re a family, all of us, new and old,” Autumn said with a chuckle. “Not to mention I think they rather stay with the ponies they believe in, then work under the ponies who change their minds quicker then most ponies can change a magazine.”
“I, didn’t think we had that effect on them,” I said, pausing to look at the ponies and piles of cargo. “Why would they all risk so much for so little?”
“Most of them are battle-hardened ponies, Sweetie, they’ve fought and killed with the ponies standing beside them, and there is something unbreakable about bonds forged in fire,” Autumn said, gently holding a hoof out for me. “You may not have been there with them when they forged that bond, but you’re a part of it because they accepted you as their leader, they look to you for advice and guidance, if you think leaving the ship is the best idea, they do too.”
“But I’m just one pony, I don’t have the experience to make decisions for more than just myself!” I said, feeling a bit of panic starting to rise, wondering if I had just made a terrible mistake. “The Enclave isn’t going to be happy when they find out the crew has deserted the ship…”
“We’ll face that when the time comes, things are different now, they don’t brand ponies as Dashites anymore or throw them out of the enclave for things like this, most we’ll face is dishonorable discharges or a minor reprimand,” Autumn said with a chuckle. “Trust me, Spectra and Winter have made changes for the better, you didn’t know their past, but the enclave of the now and the future is a lot more forgiving.”
“I hope so, for your sake,” I said with a sigh, looking through the crowds of ponies sorting items, I never realized the ship had this much crew, there had to be around sixty ponies out here. “And theirs.”
“To be honest Sweets, I think I’d be more worried about Cricket, she isn’t going to let this ship go without a fight, and despite her record being cleared she is still on thin ice with the Enclave.” I heard Midas said as she started down the ramp to the ground. “Be ready for anything.”
I nodded, and took a deep breath, looking over the ship one last time before turning to my friends. “Alright, let's get to Midnight and get this book delivered, alright?”
They both nodded and we headed off towards the village.
00000
It took some time, but we managed to get a meeting with Midnight, Sitting and waiting for her to come out for us.
“So, why do you think she wants the book?” Autumn asked, looking at the package that contained the journal.
“Who knows, maybe a spell,” Midas said with a shrug. “I never believed that there was some right to families to their relative’s belongings, so heirlooms are just a load of bull.”
“Doesn’t matter why she wants it though, she wanted it and trusted us to get it,” I said with a deep sigh, looking down at the package that rested in my hooves. “For all we know, she just wants it because she wants it.”
“I can stand behind that,” Midas said with a shrug. “Kind of a dragon-like mentality, doing things just to do them, just to get their rewards.”
“I mean, this book was owned, and held by the very mare that is arguably one of the most important ponies of all time,” Autumn said with a frown. “She did amazing spells and understood both magic and friendship better than any pony in Equestrian history, I doubt it’s just because she wants it.”
“The journal belonged to my ancestor, I wanted to be sure that it wasn’t lost to time forever,” Midnight said as she came in. “It’s something of a family heirloom as well. I just wanted it back. A lot of history has been lost in the years since the war. I guess I wanted to make sure that this piece survived.”
Looking at that package and smiling a little. “Yeah…” Slipping from my seat and coming over to Midnight, holding that package out to her. “This should be protected, and put in a museum or something.”
“If museums existed still,” Autumn said with a sigh. “There has been too much lost to time.”
“Thank you, all of you,” Midnight said as she set the package down and carefully opened it up. Using her magic she carefully flipped through the pages in silence for a few minutes, a soft smile coming to her lips as she did. “You know it’s funny. Before the Imperial War, I never would’ve wanted anything to do with this book or anything related to Twilight Sparkle.”
“Why the change in opinion?” I said, looking at Midnight curiously, trying to take a few peeks at the book.
“During the war, a lot changed, some for good and some for bad,” Midnight sighed as she brushed her mane back a little. “I guess I started to come to terms with my own family history more than anything else. Probably that trip to the Human world helped a bit… don’t ask, it’s a long story. But really I think it was Ruby that helped the most, there’s just something about that mare sometimes. Even before, well, the whole Alicorn thing but that’s another story entirely.”
“I, wish I could understand,” I said with a sigh, “But, I’m happy to hear that you found some closure, I think that’s one of the most important things.”
“And that has nothing to do with your whole mission?” Midas said with a chuckle. “Though I have to agree, I had some family issues ‘till I got down to the bottom of them if you don’t remember.”
“Yeah, I remember,” I said with a chuckle. “We got to visit your friend again sometime in the future, she was fun.”
Midnight took a deep breath as she closed the book and looked back at me. “Thank you, Sweetie, you have no idea how much this means to me. Not just to me, to Equestria. With everything that’s happened in the past few years, I’d like to think this will help bring Equestria together a bit more.”
She levitated the book up and over to me. “But for now, I want you to take care of it.”
“What, no no, I couldn’t,” I said, looking at the book, then to Midnight. “This book is far too important for me to hold onto it, especially with no ship to keep it safe, it really should stay with you.”
“No, I believe that you will be able to keep it safe, ship or no ship,” Midnight said with a shake of her head. “You may find some answers in that old book yourself. Tell me, have any of you ever heard the term old world blues?”
“My father spoke of them a few times when he was building me…” I said, looking down to my hooves for a moment. “He never explained just what it met though”
“Some view it as being a feeling of sadness and nostalgia,” Midnight said as she thought back for a long moment. “We lost the old world and we’re trying to hold onto it, that kind of thing. But the way I see it, old world blues isn’t sad. It's about the future and the potential that it holds. Things like this book, they’re old world blues, a beacon from the past that gives us hope for the future. I believe that you’ll be fine carrying it, and it will help you on your way as well. All I ask is that when you’re done, the book finds its way back here.”
I sighed and took a deep breath before I took that book from her magic, looking down at it before smiling a little and holding it to my chest. “Then, I guess me and this book have something in common.”
Midnight smiled softly as she gave me a nod. “You’re going to be fine Sweetie. You’ve got a long road ahead of you, but I’m sure you’re going to be fine. I have faith in you.”
“Why does everypony keep saying that?” I said, looking at Midnight “Why does everypony know something that I don’t?”
“It’s simple Sweetie,” Autumn said with a smile. “We’re all on a long road and searching for things, you’ve just been really open about it and have a journey that we all have had at least once in our lives.”
“But. why does everypony feel the need to tell me this though?” I said with a huff.
“It’s because we want you to know you’re not alone Sweets, don’t think too much into it - everything is going to be alright,” Midas said with a chuckle, laying a claw on my back. “A lot of wastelanders don’t have that support and end up faltering and failing, so it's also encouragement to make sure you don’t end up like them.”
“But…” I said, giving a sigh and turning back to Midnight “Why me? Don’t you need this book? What about your daughter and her new mate? What about the entire tribe, wouldn’t you be better off with it than me?”
“Because in those pages are answers to some of your questions,” Midnight answered. “And Equestria needs it as well. Perhaps you will find some sort of use for it down the road as well. Just think of it as me loaning it to you, and I’m not going to take no for an answer.”
“But, what if I mess up?” I said with a sigh, looking down at my hooves. “I did things just getting this book that, I never thought I could do, I took somepony’s life because they attacked us, and… I don’t even begin to know if I can do this.”
“The nightmares have been getting to her.” Autumn chimed in. “I’ve never heard a robot that could dream, let alone have nightmares. What do you make of that Midnight?”
“Curious, I’ve never heard of a dreaming robot either,” Midnight said thoughtfully for a moment. “I mean I’m not really a tech expert myself. But, maybe with all the time and effort put into your creation and the fact that you’re powered by magic. Maybe you’ve gained something resembling a soul. Ghosts in the machine indeed.”
“But, why would that give her the ability to dream or have nightmares?” Autumn said, looking at me “She even had a dream about being… Organic”
“Creepiest thing I’ve ever experienced… in my admittedly short life,” I said with a nervous chuckle.
“As I said, I’m not an expert on tech, I’m just an old soldier,” Midnight shrugged. “If you want my advice. You’re going to need either a robot expert or a dream expert. Not sure where you can find the former but I can point you towards the latter. Though she’s on the other side of Equestria.”
“Midnight, I think you might be more qualified then you believe,” Autumn said, shaking her head with a sigh. “And the only pony I can think of that’s a dream expert, is not exactly in a friendly part of the neighborhood last I checked.”
“What about Robotics?” I said, looking between Autumn and Midnight. “I want to know what’s wrong with me because I’ve never had a nightmare before and I want them to stop”
“Well, uh, let me think,” Midnight said thoughtfully. “I mean we’ve got robotics experts but none in the Tribe. I could send a radio message to Junction Town and see if they can send somepony. Or you could talk to Cipher, she’s not a robotics expert, but she’s a computer expert. The only pony I can think of that might be able to help is Positronic Brain, but she’s with Applejack’s Rangers and Goddesses only know where she is right now.”
“Maybe it has to do with the magic that is used to power her…” Autumn said, tapping her chin. “And, when it comes to magic, I don’t think there is anypony more qualified than a Sparkle.”
“I’m a soldier and a hunter, I’m not exactly the magic expert my ancestor was,” Midnight said with a shake of her head. “But I can try at least. That’s about all I can promise right now.”
“It’s less about your expertise and more about your… natural aptitude.” Autumn said, smiling to Midnight. “You’re a Sparkle still, it’s in your blood, every sparkle has always been more attuned to magic.”
“Alright, I can’t promise I’ll be very effective, but I can do my best,” Midnight said as she rubbed her hooves together a little. “I just have to figure out where to start.”
“Sweetie, is there a way you can show us your power source without… you know, killing everyone?” Autumn said, looking at me.
“I mean… yeah, I guess, I usually should be shut down before it’s exposed though” I said, before pointing to a panel on my chest. “It’s uh, in there..”
“Can you expose it without shutting down at least?” Autumn said with a bit of a sigh.
“I think so, it’s just… something that I was told it wasn’t a good idea to do” I said, before gently lifting the panel, revealing a spherical ball of magic. “It’s just… This is what made my father into what he was”
Midnight’s eyes went wide as she stared at the item for a long moment. “That’s, certainly not what I was expecting. You’ve got a Balefire Egg powering you, you know that right?”
“A balefire what?” I said with a frown “What does that mean?”
“A balefire egg, is essentially what the Zebra used against Equestria at the end of the war, just… a lot bigger and more powerful.” Autumn said with a sigh. “Its radiation is what makes ghouls, and is what caused a lot of problems for Equestria, why would your father have used one of those to power you? There’s got to be something less dangerous”
“If I had to guess, it's suspended in time. The magic is being created and bled off, so in theory, it could last forever,” Midnight suggested. “As opposed to say, a spark battery which would require replacement every year or two.”
“But it’s a balefire egg, if it loses containment and goes, it’s going to destroy her and everything nearby,” Autumn said with a frown. “There has to be a better alternative.”
“Don’t I get a say in this?” I said with a frown, standing between the two.
“I… I guess? Just, this complicates a lot of things, the amount of shielding that thing needs and what happens if it lets go just… that’s a lot of risks and what ifs.” Autumn added with a sigh. “I’m more worried about losing you Sweetie, if it goes, there is no bringing you back.”
“Yeah, but if you removed it from containment there’s a chance it’ll go off anyway,” Midnight commented. “I may not be a magic expert, but I did have to help deal with a Megaspell derived from Balefire during the War called Burning Rain. Defusing one of these things is tricky at best, and if this thing has been running for a while it might not be a good idea except under controlled circumstances. And unless you have another power source on hoof that will work for her, she’ll lose power as soon as it's removed and who knows what kind of effects that would have on her systems.”
“If the shielding isn’t good enough for her systems though, it could explain some of her problems, I’ve read that balefire radiation is destructive on exposed electronics,” Autumn said, tapping her chin.
“I think if there was going to be a problem with it, Autumn, it would have happened a while ago, my body has been operational for about a hundred and seventy years, with this as the power source,” I said with a sigh. “It’s weird, seeing your body as a disembodied head, but father did everything to make sure when I was put together he never would need to take me apart again.”
“Yes, I have to agree,” Midnight said. “But at the same time, it means that removing it would be even riskier. For now, I suggest you leave it in there. Given the alternative is probably worse, it’s your best option.”
“Why would Father use something so dangerous?” I said, looking to Midnight with a frown.
“More importantly, why the heck hasn’t that thing blown up, that’s extremely long for any of the basic hung spells, how is this one lasting that long?” Autumn said with a sigh.
“I have no idea honestly,” Midnight admitted. “If I had to guess, he used a spell that we’re not familiar with. Or perhaps it’s some sort of technology. I wish I could give a better answer.”
“I mean… do you guys have the uh… radiation medicine?” I said, with a little nervous chuckle. “The matrix can stay connected, and is on a tray… it can be pulled out for emergency maintenance… if that can answer any questions”
“Yeah, we do, it's less necessary these days but we keep it around just in case,” Midnight said. “But we don’t have another power source that would work for you right now. At least not one that wouldn’t need replacement. And it's possible your systems were built to work with that only.”
“Can I say something?” Midas said, chiming in. “In the tape from the stable, when you deployed your miniguns, they had tubes running from your body that glowed green when you put power to them,” Midas said with a shrug. “Sounds to me, it’s almost like her body needs that magic to run, it’s like blood to her.”
“That’s a disturbing thought,” Autumn said with a frown. “The very thing that caused death and destruction to all of Equestria, bringing life to a robot.”
“Yes, it is rather ironic but not unheard of,” Midnight said. “Balefire could have a lot of uses outside of being a weapon of destruction. And really, I don’t think it should cause any immediate problems as long as it's in suspension.”
She raised her PipBuck, an old faded model with several designs on it not seen in a normal PipBuck. “I’ve only picked up minute amounts of radiation from her. I would suggest getting some RadAway just in case though.”
I smiled a little, knowing that I wasn’t doing much damage to my friends. I gently reached and grabbed the plate the orb sat on and pulled on it, the farther it came out the higher the radiation spikes would be, but the more clear it would be to them exactly what it was.
“Is that… No, no way.” Autumn said with a gasp.
“That looks like, a matrix” Midas added, taking a closer look.
“Interesting,” Midnight said as she narrowed her eyes a little at the matrix. “Yeah, this is way beyond my expertise.”
“I didn’t know anypony could make a matrix this small, it almost looks like a tiny version of the matrix from Tenpony,” Autumn said, looking it over. “The only pony I know that could do that was a Robronco Engineer, but he disappeared before he finished the tech before the bombs fell.”
“Yeah, I was tasked with getting a few of his designs, a prototype of one of them was put in that stable me and Sweetie went into when we first met” Midas added before she paused and looked at me. “Oh god, your father, he was that engineer wasn’t he.”
“I… I honestly don’t know, he never told me these things, he said that life was behind him,” I said with a frown. “Why? Does that make any difference?” Taking a moment to push that tray back in and replaced the panel.
“Sweetie, we’re talking about Sonic Servo, he is the major engineer for almost every Robronco project, he is the father of modern robotics,” Autumn said with a smile. “He had a dream that he could make a power option for robots that could last forever, he made a few prototypes but they were far too large to put into anything, I heard one was put into a train in Whinnyapolis, another into a stable to replace their normal generators, but if what you have is that, that means he succeeded, he managed to make that power pack that lasts forever”
“Something like that could easily be rigged to power weapons or entire vessels, Spark batteries run dry, but a power plant that lasts forever? That’d get a lot of attention.” Midas said, looking at me with a chuckle. “Too bad though.”
“I’ve read about your father, I’m sorry Sweetie,” Midnight said as she bowed her head slightly.
“I… I never knew,” I said, stumbling over my words for a moment before I turned to the door. “I… I want to go home, I want to see him again, one last time.”
“What do you mean? What happened Sweetie?” Autumn said before Midas stopped her with a claw to her muzzle and a shake of her head. I didn’t turn around to look but I could hear Autumn gasp.
“I’m Sorry Sweetie, I… I didn’t know,” Autumn said as I felt her hug me from behind.
“What does it matter, he’s gone now, but I wish he told me these things,” I said with a frown. “I want to go and see him, I need to, I have to ask him a few things.”
I turned around and picked up the journal before I turned and headed out the door, right now I felt like the only thing I wanted was to be alone, to find a corner somewhere to just think.
00000
Having made my way to a nearby hill just outside of the town, sitting there under a tree watching as the sun went down, looking at that journal for a few moments before I opened it and started to flip through the pages. Stopping every now and then to read the entries.
Everything had happened so fast, I didn’t even know my dad’s name before now, not who he was, or what he was, or why he was that way. All I knew is he had made a terrible mistake and tried to make up for it in making me.
“What am I…” I said, looking down at my hooves.
“A wonderful pony with a lot of wonderful friends who are worried sick about you.” A familiar voice said I turned round to see Cricket walking up the hillside.
“Cricket I-” I started to say before she’d just wave her hoof.
“Nothing to say, I was angry, I lashed out, it’s a problem of mine.” She said before joining me and sitting down beside me. “Sweetie, You’re a robot, yes, of course, that is undeniable, but I knew your father.”
“You did?” I said, looking to her.
“Yes, and I know something that no pony else knew. He was one of the most skilled ponies in Equestria, he had a dearly important job that no pony else could ever possibly do, and he had a mind full of ideas on how to do that job better.” Cricket said, leaning back against that tree. “Like he thought he could simulate emotions, free will, everything - with the right combination of programs and systems.”
“Like me?” I said, with a frown. “The nightmares? They aren’t malfunctions?”
“Working as intended I’m afraid,” Cricket said with a chuckle.
“So, there’s nothing wrong with me?” I asked
“Not a thing, you’re struggling with something every child suffers through, trying to figure out where they belong in the world, and how to get there,” Cricket added, looking back to me. “You’ll figure it out, I know you will.”
“Why are you doing this? I thought you hated me?” I said with a frown.
“Simple Sweetie, because I’m not one that likes to leave loose ends, nor do I want the last memory of me to be something evil or bad,” Cricket said with a chuckle. “Not that I am planning to die any time soon, but when you’ve seen it happen for two hundred years, gotta treat every day like your last.”
“I didn’t know about your family,” I said with a sigh, looking back down to the journal. “I didn’t mean to strike a nerve either”
“I get that, trust me, not everything that happens in this head is voluntary, I was already wound up and you just hit the right buttons to make it unspool.” She said with a shrug before she stood up and smirked at me. “Not really a hard thing to do, so no hard feelings.”
“I see…” I said, standing and picking up the journal, following her down the hill. “You’re a very confusing pony, you know that right?”
“Two hundred years will to that to you,” She said with a chuckle. I could see the Quetzal in the distance, sitting in an open field.
“What do you think is going to happen to it? The ship I mean.” I asked.
“Most likely taken back to dry dock, scrubbed clean from any possible filth it’s got on it, recrewed and put back out on its diplomatic patrols,” Cricket said with a sigh. “Well, that’s if they can manage to keep it.”
“What do you mean?” I said with a frown, not liking the sound of that.
“Sweetie, Don’t follow my example, okay?” Is all she’d say in reply before we’d reach the bottom of the hill where my friends had been waiting.
“You okay Sweetie?” Midas said first, brushing some dirt from her scales.
“Yeah, I’m fine,” I said with a sigh.
“You sure? You don’t need to talk about it?” Autumn added, walking closely beside me.
“Nothing to talk about, it’s not every day that you find out that you’re basically the prodigy of one of the greatest minds in pony kind,” I said with a shrug. “So what are we doing now?”
“Waiting on the Enclave, we got reports that they’re on approach,” Autumn said with a sigh, I turned to look at Cricket and discovered she had disappeared, probably slipped away while nopony was looking.
“They even brought a Thunderhead, they know that Cricket isn’t giving up the Quetzal without a fight,” Midas said with a chuckle. “Bring a heavily armed warship, to take back an unarmed diplomatic transport - sounds like some of the old enclave mentality is still intact, they definitely still like overkill.”
“What do you think she’s going to do?” I said, looking over to Midas
“Most likely try and take off and run, Quetzal is fast, and has a few stealth systems aboard - she just needs distance and time to be able to hide from them and get away with the ship,” Midas said with a shrug. “Then again, that is Enclave tech now, for all I know they have an ability to track it and she’s not getting anywhere.”
“What if they fire on her?” I said, looking from Midas to Autumn, neither of them seemed to have an answer for that one.
“They wouldn’t.” I heard from behind, turned to see Alabaster running up. “It would be most unfortunate for them to damage what they’re coming here to retrieve, risking destruction would be very…. Not smart of them.” He said with a nod to his head.
“Well, I guess all we can do is wait and see, they aren’t going to be too much longer,” I said with a sigh. “Let's hope Cricket knows what she is doing.”
00000
The next few hours seemed to drag by, it was the dark of night by the time we even got any hint that the Enclave was nearby, Vertibucks started to fly over and the occasional raptor circled the area.
“Almost looks like they’re looking for a fight,” I said, watching the aircraft fly by.
“They most likely are, Cricket was never one for going easy,” Autumn said with a sigh. “That, or there is more going on then they’re willing to tell us.”
“What do you mean?” I said, looking at Autumn for a moment before the sound of propellers overhead drew my attention away again.
“She means that they could be gearing up for war with something, not like it’s hard to believe, the Enclave was always the one to pick most fights,” Midas said with a sigh. “Though I think it’s more they expect Cricket to have something up her sleeve - She’s always got a hand of cards and no one knows exactly what she’s got in store.”
That’s when I first saw it, a massive dark looming figure, shrouded in clouds. All the smaller craft zipping around it or disappearing into the cloud and into the shadow within.
“Is that it? A Thunderhead?” I said, looking back to Autumn.
“Looks like it, in fact - If I had my guess it’s the Nimbus, biggest guns in the fleet after what cricket did to their super capital,” Autumn said with a chuckle. “Still the same old Enclave after all, just with a lot friendlier a mask.”
“Is that going to be a problem,” Midas asked with a frown.
“Doubtful, they are all about optics now, they want to look as good as possible, but when they aren’t concerned as much for optics, they still go for the biggest guns and do the largest of flex shows,” Autumn said, shaking her head and giving a sigh. “Shock and awe, they want to discourage a fight before a fight can start, overwhelming force and firepower is the best when you want that.”
“They think this can intimidate Cricket?” I said, smirking a little, from everything I had seen that mare fears nothing, and only takes odds like this as a challenge.
“Again doubtful, I think they don’t know that she rigged that ship was a system that lets her fly it alone so they think scaring the crew into submission will keep her from being able to do much of anything,” Autumn said with another sigh. “Let's get down to the Quetzal I want to see her off.”
Starting down the path towards the ship, just watching that looming shadow in the clouds, we almost missed when a Vertibuck touched down beside us and a few armor clad ponies jumped from it.
“Sweetie, Midas, Autumn, we need to talk.” A familiar voice said.
Stopping we turned to face him, that familiar suited rainbow-haired stallion from before.
“Spectra,” Midas said with a frown. “What’s with this, giving us a ship and then taking it away not even three days later.”
“Look, this isn’t my idea or call, the Admiralty was furious when they found out I gave one of our top secret ships to a non-enclave representative. I told them how this would be great for optics, that we’d show we trust non-enclave with our technology, but they told me to shut up and that I can’t take executive decisions on matters like fleet safety.” Spectra said with a sigh and a shake of his head. “I really wanted you guys to keep it, that ship has a deeper meaning than anything.”
“You’re the president, sir,” Autumn said after clearing her throat to get our attention. “They need to yield to your orders, and if they stand against you, then they are being traitors.”
“I wish it was that easy Autumn, I do,” Spectra said, sitting and rubbing at the side of his head. “Look, long story short, I tried to fight it, they wanted to come to get it the second they heard, I fought it, and bought the few days you have, they overruled me and said that a retrieval team will be sent to retrieve the ship and its crew immediately.”
“So, now what?” I said, looking at him.
“Well, They said we can give you a raptor, but that’s it - that’s all I’m allowed to give you, no crew, no pilot, nothing, just a raptor,” Spectra said, his frown growing. “How the heck do they expect me to honor that.”
He went to keep talking before there was a buzz in his ear and he stopped to listen, his eyes going wide and his frown growing even more rapidly.
“What is it, what’s wrong,” Midas said, her attention turning to where the Quetzal had landed.
“The Admiral on the Nimbus reports that the Quetzal is powering up and preparing for take off without authorization.”
“Cricket!” I said before taking off down the road, running as fast as my hooves will take me. I could hear them running behind me.
“They have given the order to fire a disabling shot if the ship attempts to flee, who’s on board?” Spectra said, his armor-clad escort being left behind.
“Just Cricket,” Autumn said with a sigh. “Everyone else was abandoning their posts in protest.”
“Okay, so less likely anyone is going to get hurt,” Spectra said, breathing a quick sigh of relief. Nearing the clearing just as the engines of the Quetzal roared to life and the ship lifted from the ground, the crew staring up in awe as Cricket launched her plan.
The next few things happened so quickly, I lost track of the action, There was yelling and screaming before the sound of thunder rumbled through the air. The Nimbus having fired a shot in hopes to disable the ship before it left.
The first round missed and sailed into some nearby mountains.
“Stop firing! Stop Firing!” Spectra screaming into his radio “There are civilians down here! I order you to cease firing immediately!”
No reply from the Nimbus, Soon after another rumble of thunder, this time the round exploded maybe no more than a hundred feet from the Quetzal, the ground shuddering from the force.
That’s when I heard it over the radio Spectra had been yelling into.
“Mister President Sir, I’m sorry, but I cannot let that ship fall into enemy hooves.” A female voice on the other side, the pony I assumed to be the admiral said in a rather cold and calculating voice.
“What is she going to do,” I said, looking to Spectra for a moment before he could reply, a third rumble from the Nimbus, this time the round not just whizzing by or detonating nearby, a direct hit on the rear of the Quetzal.
Watching as the ship shuttered and the lights flickered before the unthinkable happened. A loud explosion ripping through the air as the Quetzal detonated, chunks of debris and pieces of hull raining down in the nearby field.
“Cricket!” I heard Midas scream as she took off flying towards the wreckage, I stood there awestruck at what I had just witnessed, by the time I shook off the shell shock I noticed my friends all running or flying towards the crash site, Spectra in tow.
Once we were all standing amongst the debris field there was nothing but silence and the crackle of burning materials, Looking around the ship that had been our home the past two days was entirely unrecognizable, all except for a large piece of debris that I could tell was the bridge module.
Rushing for it I could see the form of a pony slumped in one of the seats, I felt my heart drop as I slowed down and my eyes locked on that form.
“C-Cricket?” I said, carefully stepping into what remained of the bridge. “You alright?”
“Kid, remember what I said before? It happens every day?” I heard her say between wheezes and coughs. “Well, seems today's my day.”
“Cricket, we’re going to get you out of here okay?” I said, still carefully approaching, I could see a large hole that had been punched through the pilot side of the bridge, I paused, wondering just what state Cricket would be in.
“Sorry kid, but I don’t think this is one I’m going to walk away from.” She said, I could hear her chuckle, and that’s when I first saw, her left side had been torn away, blood and flesh hanging loosely, wing entirely gone.
“Cricket, I’m… I’m so sorry.” I said, looking at her. “We’ll fix you up, okay? You’re staying with us.”
“Shut up you bucket of bolts,” Cricket said through coughs and groans.
“No, you shut up and listen to me, We’re going to get you out of here,” I said with a frown, before calling to my friends that I had found her. “You’re going to get out of here, and you’re going to live to raise hell another day, you got that.”
“Aye aye, ma’am,” Cricket said in her usual sarcastic tone before she just slumped in her seat once more, fearing the worst I started to rip through the debris, tossing it aside and throwing things out of the way, by the time I reached her I could see she was still breathing.
“In here guys!” I yelled at the top of my lungs, my friends finally figuring out where I was and joining us, I heard Autumn gasp when she first saw, Midas shocked to silence.
“Cloud Chaser, I-” Spectra started to say when he finally arrived before he saw her state. I could see the anger starting to grow in his eyes before he grabbed his radio. “Admiral, you are hereby under arrest for treason and destruction of Enclave property, do you hear me!”
“If that’s what it must be.” The voice on the other end said before it cut out.
“She isn’t going to get away with this, I promise that,” Spectra said, taking one of Cricket’s hooves into his own. “I’ll make sure she pays for this.”
“You best,” Cricket said with a smirk and a cough before she turned to me. “Listen, Sweetie, I been hard on you, I know that, and maybe you didn’t deserve it, but I gotta ask you a favor.”
“Anything, what is it?” I said, rushing over and standing beside spectra, placing my hoof on top of hers.
“You need to go to Crusader Town, there’s a pony there that needs to know what happened here today, you do that for me okay? You three.” She said, motioning her head to each of us.
“Of course we will,” Autumn said brushing away tears.
“You have our word,” Midas added, stepping in behind us.
“No, okay, this isn’t happening.” I said, shaking my head “You’re going to tell her yourse-” I paused, I noticed that Cricket had started to mumble under her breath and stare blankly out at the horizon. I leaned in to try and figure out what she was saying, but most of it was just jibberish, except for one word, one word only she kept repeating that was clear as day.
“Why does she keep saying Cloudsdale?” I said, turning to Autumn.
“Sweetie, I…” Autumn said, pausing to take a deep breath. “Come with me, there’s something I need to say.”
Stepping outside of the wreckage, she stopped and stood before me, putting a hoof to my chest.
“What’s wrong, Autumn?” I said, looking at her, my concern raising increasingly quickly.
“There is a point, when the brain of a pony starts to shut down, they start muttering like that,” Autumn said quietly. “She’s going to die, there’s nothing we can do, she’s already too far gone that not even your power core could fix her.”
I paused, my eyes wide before I rushed back into the wreckage and to Cricket, this time when I got there she had gone entirely limp, eyes closed, not a sound, not a movement, no breathing. I was too late, again.
“I could have helped her…” I said, sitting, staring down at my hooves again. “Why didn’t anyone tell me that radiation helps them…”
“Sweetie you couldn’t have done anything,” Autumn said when she finally came back in.
“No! I could have helped her! I could have kept her alive long enough that a medical team could have found her!” I yelled, glaring at Autumn. “First that Raider, now Cricket, Why am I always too fricken late!”
“Sweets, I understand you're angry, I do, I’m angry too,” Midas said, grabbing me and making me face her. “But taking it out on us isn’t going to fix anything, and trust me, Not even a Canterlot ghoul can survive something like this, you would have only made her suffer more.”
I paused and stared at that dragon for a few moments, I could see the tears welling up in her eyes. That’s when it dawned on me, Cricket was hard on me, but I only knew her for a couple of days, these three had known her for years, maybe even their whole lives, and they just had to watch her die.
“It was a long time coming,” Spectra said, as he turned and started to walk away. “But she’s home now, with her friends and family, back in the streets of Cloudsdale, She doesn’t have to suffer anymore. Come on, I’m sure the Dayrunners are wondering what the hell just happened.”
As we walked back towards their camp, no one spoke, no one said a thing, and when the crackle of the fires died down and everything was quiet, I stopped, and just listened. The sounds of crickets chirping through the air, and I just stood there - remembering what she said.
When the crying is over, when the groans and wails of the dying stop, only the sounds of crickets are left.
LEVEL UP!
Bittersweet Melody
The loss of a friend is always hard to take, but the lessons they
taught you will last a lifetime.
+10 to firearms, 10% permanent crit chance.
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Oh, Cricket... salutes
Well worth the wait.
Wow, that final scene choked me up. I do not think I will ever hear crickets the same again
If the main OCs in this story were voiced, what would they sound like?
9841536
What do you mean? Just Sweetie, Midas, Alabaster, and Autumn?