• Published 6th Apr 2019
  • 1,537 Views, 594 Comments

Distant Reflections - David Silver



Equestria and Everglow have brushed against one another through the course of their histories, each time fleeting, but memorable to those involved. Many many years later, the unaging Twilight captains a space vessel to explore the universe.

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70 - On the Road

Wandering looked towards the main screen. "Bullette Belle would like to deliver a message." He pointed.

Steel inclined his head. "To the main screen? She could just tell you." Despite that, he waved a hoof. "Go ahead."

Belle sprang into being, her big smiling face taking up a quarter of the space available. "Say hello to Kit Tune!" she sang in joyful warbling tone. Her face draw back just so a small child could come into view, waving at them. By appearance, they seemed to be five or six years old.

A fact that wasn't missed on Fast Shadow. "Who is that and how did we not know they were here?"

"A fox pony," noted Steel. "The result of..." Well, it was obvious what it was the result of. "Why are..." The room became murmurs and questions, but Belle had already gone, apparently only coming to show off the child.


Kit rubbed two paws together, having paws in the front and more equine hooves in the back. "Mother, I'm hungry."

Octavia rubbed at her cheek gently. "You've already grown quite a bit, dear..." And she wasn't sure feeding milk to a young child was proper either. "Why don't we all have something to eat. You can try something solid." The child before her sure seemed large enough for it, with teeth after the most rapid teething segment of life she'd ever seen.

"Before you ask." Remi put a hand on her chest. "This is not my fault."

Dawn was present, studying the child quietly. "You appear to be in fine health for your apparent age. You should be able to stomach solids without issue." He struck a button only he could see, getting more reports on the child's metabolic rates. "Your system is still running quickly, so we can expect more growth."

Octavia tapped a hoof on the ground. "Does it have an end? I do not wish to have a child only for their entire life to be on fast forward!"

"I'm sorry," murmured Kit, looking guilty.

"Oh, no, no dear." Octavia gathered up her child in her magic, hugging him at the same time. "This isn't your fault, not at all. Momma's not angry at you."

Remi rose with a great stretch. "I'm going to assume there is a stop. Let's just be a happy family and wait for it to happen, eh?"

Belle bobbed her head. "A happy family! Should I gather my family?"

Twilight gently bopped Belle on her metal noggin. "That's a nice thought, but, despite appearances, they are still getting used to one another. Let's give them some bonding time." She started for the door. "Call me if I can help, and happy birthday, Kit."

"Happy birfday!" he babbled out with a big grin. "Bye!"

"I look forward to our next meeting," sang Belle, nuzzling the cheek of the fox-pony before rushing off after Twilight.

So, they ate a nice lunch with their child that should have been asleep, or nursing a bottle, but instead ate right along with them, chatting childishly.

His growth did ebb, though pushing through the lunch, it seemed to slow during it, and he did not immediately ask for food. He was in his early teens or tweens, by appearance, and also naked.

A thing Octavia took note of. "So far as I am made aware, bipeds usually dress themselves."

"It's true," agreed Remi. "Not sure where that habit came from, but there it is."

Kit blinked owlishly. "I never wore clothes before," he admitted. Being less than a day old, that wasn't too surprising.

"Well, let's find something you like." Octavia gently nudged him to stand on a pad. "Let me tell you, this innovation is one I have found to be quite useful. I hope you like it too."

"What is it?" But then he knew. Suddenly he was dressed like a little schoolboy, but he felt nothing. It was an illusion, confirmed as he patted at himself, but only felt his furry limbs. "Oooo!"

"Ooo indeed," agreed Octavia with a little smile. "This allows you to try different fashions in a snap to find what you actually want." Her horn glowed as she commanded it, swapping it to the attire of an ensign of the ship, not that any person would be fooled by an ensign so obviously young. "Looking sharp."

Remi slapped down her hand on her boy's head, mussing his hair. "Hey, one thing. Why's our perfect little bundle have this pink streak?" It was true, in the middle of his blonde hair, he had one big fat pink streak that ran down in a wave, perfectly straight and vibrant. It looked like a good quality dying job, though none present had dyed the child.

Octavia inclined her head. "Couldn't say."

But Dawn knew... "I must atone for my sins." Both parents and their child looked to him. "I invoked divine interference, thinking a small touch would be granted. They clearly wanted more, and what a god wants, we mortals can but yield."

Octavia frowned at him. "Enough metaphors. Speak plainly, as if we were all Kit's age and had to understand."

Dawn quirked a smile at that. "If you were all Kit's true age, I would have no words but gentle ones of encouragement to share." The parents' wry looks told him his comedy was not appreciated. "Very well. I prayed to a goddess of childbirth, healing, and family. She has marked your son." He leveled a hoof at Kit. "Praise be to Lashtada."

"Praise!" Kit threw his hands up in the air with a big silly grin. "Is she nice?"

"Very," agreed Dawn with a soft nod. "She watches warmly over families and communities, wishing only for more families to occur."

Octavia could imagine the meaning behind that. "You summoned a god of sex and fertility on me." She coiled, looking over herself. She had no pink streaks or other marks. "She seems to have left me alone."

Dawn shook his head. "I didn't expect her to mark any, but she clearly took an interest..." He pointed a hoof at Octavia. "You are a blending of lines, as is your child." He nodded to Kit. "This clearly pleased her more than I knew."

"Does this mean I get stooper powers?" asked Kit with a hopeful smile.

Dawn stroked his chin. "You may." Both parents looked to him with renewed concern. "If you want. Think fondly of Lashtada, and she will likely return to you. Would you care to learn more?"

"Yes!"

"No!" both parents objected.

Kit frowned, his first frown of his life. "Why not?"

Octavia raised a hoof to her cheek, thinking of the wording. "Well, you see son... This is a god of... carnality. And that is not appropriate for a child your age."

Remi bobbed her head. "Maybe when you're older."

"I already got way older," objected Kit, clopping down one of his hooved feet. "She helped me get older! It's, uh... destiny!" He thrust a paw into the air, one finger extended. "C'mon, lemme!"

Dawn rose to his hooves. "I will not fight the well wishes of parents, but know he could be a talented oracle, if you allow it."

"Everyone out." Octavia pointed to the door. "Everyone but Dawn. We have words to share." Her words were icey, glaring at him with a deadly chill. Remi snatched up Kit, carrying him out despite his complaints.

Dawn sat back on his haunches. "Have I offended?"

"Have you? I dare say you have," huffed Octavia. "Or you think I'm unknowing, perhaps. I know what an oracle is, and I met Soft Mane, may she rest well. I will not consign my child to blindness, as your precious Lashtada has done once before!"

"The rush of power from the divine can, and usually does, come with... some compromise as the body and spirit struggle to adapt," explained Dawn in an even tone. "But not all divine power need come in that way. I am a divine user, my body and mind intact. I learned the slow way, through faith and practice over years to get it right."

Octavia hiked a brow. "And you think giving a child a choice of the fast way or the slow way will result in anything but the fast way being taken if it's an option? You really do think me a fool, or you are one."

"There is no need to throw insults." Dawn inclined his head. "Kit is already made aware. If they do not learn from me, they will find out in other ways. The files of Lashtada are in the computer system, waiting for anyone to look them up. I offer guidance."

The cat had already fled the bag. Octavia let out a slow loud sigh. "Today should be a day of celebration and cheer." She reached out, thumping Dawn. "Thank you for ruining it quite entirely. We are all healthy and this medical emergency is resolved. You are no longer required."

Dawn rose, unbristled. "May you walk in their paths." And he left, perhaps confident that the will of the gods would win out, whatever her wishes.


"Ah, Dawn." Steel nodded as one of theirs returned. "I hope you can dispel the mystery for us. What is it we saw?" He waved at the main screen, where a still image of Kit was captured mid-wave. "That isn't the child due to be born soon... somehow... is it?"

"It is." He sat at his terminal. "It is by Lashtada's will. He is healthy and vibrant, loved and loving." He clopped his hooves together like a prayer. "All praise, for the circle of life loops again."

"I..." Steel set his hooves down. "I understand the cycle of life, but that... isn't a normal part of it."

"I have to agree with Steel here," joined Fast. "Is the child going to be alright, being thrust forward in age like that during a time it should be learning so much? Not that I'd want to skip years even as an adult, but it would be far less possibly risky to my development."

"I would not recommend such a technology," he agreed. "But when the hooves of a god is involved..."

Fast shook her head slowly. "I can only hope your god thought of that. Poor thing! We could end up with an intellectually stunted adult." She suddenly perked. "Ah, can they talk?" Dawn nodded. "That's a relief, and a good sign. Maybe they did cover those bases..."

Steel looked instead to Wandering. "Make sure they receive their proper education and monitor them for any difficulties." It was Wandering's job to monitor mental health. "They are, by definition, a special needs child. I can't help but wonder at what age they are learning at and capable of."

Wandering bobbed his head easily. "Right on it! I'll let the parents have their day though. This is his birthday, isn't it?" He tapped at his console softly.


"Yer kiddin' me." He was speaking outloud. He didn't technically need to. He could have sent his voice right to the program that then transmitted to the goat avatar he was talking to. But he found it nicer to just talk and route what he heard along. It was more like he was actually talking with his new friend.

"I am not. It took them three days to clean out his fur." The avatar burst into laughter, another emote, one he had seen several times.

"Ah could only 'magine he was really mad."

"Super mad," agreed Wandering. "But we got past it. Life's full of things like that, awkward moments. You'll run into more, so will I, but that's alright."

"Ya make it sound so simple."

"'cause it is, in the end," argued Wandering's avatar with a big smile. "Alright, it's your turn."

"My turn?" He recoiled from the vision only he could see, not even taking up 3d space. "Mah turn for what?"

"It's your turn to share a super embarrassing moment. Go on!"

Author's Note:

It happened again. The ending aside, I kept focused on one plot thread for the chapter. Is this better or not?

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