Chapter 126: Elevator, going up!
“Twilight sent the new conditions for Flask’s sentence,” Astral said, passing a paper over to Sassi. “It’s pretty fair, all things considered.”
“Oh?”
The two Thestrals were perched on a green hill, a large tree shadowing the two during the sunset. In the distance off to their right, a bustling city began to shift into the night life. Hidden due to the distance, but to their left, cranes and scaffolding surrounded an observatory and adjacent buildings; their new home when it was completed.
“House arrest until further notice. But plenty of visiting rights, and he can go shopping and be out and around Canterlot with guards,” Astral said as Sassi read the report. “The Princess can’t pardon him yet, but it’s clear that’s the eventual goal.”
“I think my dad would demand a punishment,” Sassi admitted. “He has done a lot of bad stuff. A few months can’t make up for all of it. Not yet.”
“A few months? Is that how long it has been since all of this started?”
“Well, since it all started. We’ve only been out of the Silos for…a month,” Sassi added. “Barely any time to ourselves with all of the reports and making sure our experience is cataloged.
“You sound a bit bitter for a mare who just made six figures in a week.”
“Pfft. Upper six figures at that!” Sassi crowed. “And that was just the first volume of my reports!”
Astral grinned, leaning his head over onto her shoulder. Sassi responded by letting him fall onto the picnic mat with a yelp, wrapping her forelimbs around him and burying her face into his mane. She took a deep breath, nuzzling his ears contentedly.
“It still doesn’t feel real,” she whispered. “You feel real. And we’re on a grassy hill, on a date. And free. But it’s all muted.”
“Yeah. Same here,” he admitted, scooting a bit closer. “But that’s okay.”
“Hmmm.”
Hearing the not-so-convinced tone, Astral continued.
“It still hasn’t hit. I’m not having too many nightmares, but I can sense it all on the edge. Just waiting to pounce. We haven’t even processed what we went through. You have a lifetime of stuff to come to grips with I’ve just got the Silo-”
“Nuh-uh. Remember? No trauma competitions.”
He grinned, his marefriend nuzzling his ears affectionately.
“Fair. But yeah. It hasn’t sunk in. I think it will soon, but not yet. We’ve been so busy with debriefing, writing down the experiences while they’re fresh, I mean, it’s a good thing, and helps us cope in a way.”
“But now we can start to breathe?”
Torquing his neck, the stallion gave Sassi a kiss, the mare happily returning the gesture and hugging him tighter. A hoof reached down to brush his chest; a thin scar now having replaced the healing crystals.
Pulling back slightly, Astral gestured up to the tree.
“It doesn’t feel real, but let’s come back at least once a month until it does. Deal?”
Sassi sniffled, nodding with a trembling, but genuine smile.
“D-deal,” she whispered, almost angrily shaking off the tears. “I cry at the drop of a hat! It’s annoying!”
“Well, I nearly threw a jar of jelly at someone because they were chatting in the grocery store aisle. So, fair’s fair? We’re both on a hair trigger?”
With an understanding nod, Sassi scooted over, the two of them sitting up. Astral gestured to a well-lit building on the edge of the city in the distance.
“Ready for part two of this date?” he asked, looking over to a small pile of metal plates next to them. “I think the armor’s concealment spell has some time left on it.”
The two shrugged on their minimalist RASP suits; essentially webbing and metal plates across their chests, flanks, and back. It just felt wrong to be without them.
Hence the concealment spells.
“Sounds good to me!”
The dance club was fairly packed. The two Thestrals were largely unnoticed, the pair meandering towards the back. The DJ was a rather eccentric kirin, mainstream pop songs pumping over the speakers.
“Are you sure they’ll change?” Sassi grumbled, reaching up to adjust the hidden earpieces. “It’s a bit loud.”
“I promise. I checked the schedule. It’s a slower night,” Astral confirmed, “See?”
As if on cue, the lights shifted, various groups and pairs splitting up across the club as a song played.
Astral grinned, walking over and pressing his side against Sassi’s. She couldn’t help but smile, the stallion leading her in a simple back-and-forth dance.
“Y’know, I think we’re a pair of Super Troopers…” he mused with a sly smirk. “I might have made a request or two.”
Sassi’s eyes widened as the lyrics came over the speakers.
“So imagine I was glad to hear you’re coming
Suddenly I feel all right
And it’s gonna be so different
When I’m on the stage tonight
Tonight the Super Trouper, lights are gonna find me
Shining like the sun Smiling, having fun
Feeling like a number one”
“Oh my g-gosh, Astral!” she laughed, gasping for breath as they danced back and forth.
“Arcane showed me this song; I think he likes Disco. It’s not the original meaning of the song, but I’d say it’s appropriate,” he chuckled, Sassi now taking over and leading the dance. The two Thestrals stepped back and forth, separating for a more semi-formal set of moves. Astral knew more moves, but Sassi could lead the basics just fine. And that was all they needed for tonight.
She wiped away happy tears from her eyes, Astral leaning down to press his forehead against hers.
“I’ll never get tired of that smile,” he whispered. His words abruptly made Sassi sniffle, the mare clenching her jaw.
“D-don’t make me cry in public,” she whispered. “Not fair. We’re both emotional wrecks!”
Astral’s knowing smile made the mare grumble, Sassi sensing there were more surprises on the way. The amusement over their link was confirmation enough for that.
The DJ ended the song, and the stage was yielded to another band. A bearded stallion took the mic, Sassi watching curiously.
Her eyes widened immediately after hearing the music start, her lips trembling.
“I know this one.”
Her silent words made Astral nod, the stallion stepping back and offering a hoof. Nocreature was watching them at the back of the crowd. While the song wasn’t a typical one to dance to, Astral had a feeling it’d be more than appropriate.
“Only we would be dancing to a metal song,” Sassi sighed, pressing her neck against Astral’s as he led her in a more traditional, waltz-like set of steps. Her words abruptly cut off as the singer began. The stallion’s voice was rough but carried a strength and emotion that filled the club and spilled out into the streets.
“I have often dreamed of a far-off place
Where a hero's welcome would be waiting for me
Where the crowds would cheer, when they see my face
And a voice keeps saying this is where I'm meant to be”
Astral’s eyes met hers, and the stallion’s throat was already closing with emotion. He couldn’t even form mental words; simply danced with the one mare he loved with all his heart.
“I'll be there someday, I can go the distance
I will find my way if I can be strong
I know every mile would be worth my while
When I go the distance, I'll be right where I belong
Down an unknown road to embrace my fate
Though that road may wander, it will lead me to you
And a thousand years would be worth the wait
It might take a lifetime but somehow I'll see it through”
Tears streamed from Sassi’s eyes as Astral spun her into a twirl, pulling her close. The concealment spells on the armor failed with a soft crackle, but neither Thestral paid any mind.
As the singer continued, it took everything Sassi had to not bawl her eyes out. Even so, the tough mare couldn’t keep the tears from spilling down her face.
“Like a shooting star, I will go the distance
I will search the world, I will face its harms”
Mid-step, Astral gently took her hoof and placed it against the scar on his chest. Sassi nearly stumbled, having to pause to wipe her eyes. Sassi hopped forward, wrapping Astral up in her arms as she cried. Her thoughts from back in the Silo surged to the fore.
Despite Astral having picked the song, she couldn’t have said it any better to the stallion she loved.
“I don't care how far, I can go the distance
'Till I find my hero's welcome waiting in your arms”
She hugged him tight, and even if the mare couldn’t put all of the words to the emotions in her heart, she knew Astral at least understood a bit of it.
But Sassi wanted to be sure.
Pulling back, the two rocked back and forth in a simple set of steps as the song wound down. Sassi rest her cheek against Astral’s, barely managing a whisper with a shaking voice.
“Y-you make it worth it,” she said, having to clench her jaw briefly. “The Silos. If this is the result…I’d d-do it again.”
She buried her head into his shoulder, hugging the stallion tightly. Astral couldn’t help but cry as well, the pair sitting down as he looked into the mare’s tearful eyes.
“I just want you to be happy,” he whispered. “I’d fight the world for you, Sas. I’d do it all again for you. Every bit.”
The kiss she gave him made Astral’s head spin, the mare giggling as she wiped her eyes.
“You’re everything to me, Astral,” she whispered. “I still don’t know what you see in me. I can’t get there, not yet. But thank you for everything. For being you.”
“Ditto, but in reverse,” Astral huffed, then reached a hoof up to gently cradle her cheek. “Sas,” he whispered, not wanting to dismiss her words. “Never forget that you’re worth it. That you’re worth so much more than that place taught you.” His ears flattened, and it was the stallion’s turn to struggle to speak.
“I’m not a perfect pony, he said softly. “I’ve got a lot of stuff to work through. But I’ll try my best to be the stallion you deserve. Because you deserve someone more than I can be. But I’ll try.” He smiled, wiping away a few tears. “I guess we’ll both try?”
She laughed, giving him another hug.
“I like that plan,” she said, occupying her stallion with a long kiss.
Pulling back, she giggled as the mare waved a hoof. More than a few eyes were now drifting their way, the armored Thestrals standing out, even at the rear of the crowd.
“Time for a graceful exit? She asked, Astral laughing as they trotted away, leaving quite a few curious mutters in their wake.
“Graceful? I think I heard like, five creatures wondering if “that was Astral and Sassi?”” he cackled, breaking into a fast trot once they were in the streets.
“Well. How about a nighttime run? Last one to the Observatory and back to our hotel loses?” Sassi asked, immediately taking off at a sprint. “And go!”
“Not fair!”
Astral broke into a gallop, unable to resist a laugh.
Torture. Lies. Mutated creatures. The Silos. Everything that nightmarish place could throw at them.
And we made it.
Together.
The meeting room was buried underneath a mountain of rebar and concrete. Magical shields challenged even the most adept Princess to locate the area. Even then, the screens were tied in from across the entire world. Five shadowy figures looked at each other, one of the pony outlines finally speaking up.
“The capture of our ten subordinates is a significant setback,” the unicorn growled. “Our operations are nearly crippled! I think new leadership steps need to be-”
“Your concern is noted, Two,” another pony said with a sigh, the other individual bristling. “We will continue our work in a more subdued manner. This is simply a reset of how things began. Now, we must begin anew to use more covert tactics.” The screens then played a recording of Split Tie’s death. “We are monitoring the two individuals responsible for this. They are extremely close to an above-ground operations center. They won’t think to look in their backyard, especially with us lying low. There are no underground facilities near them to arouse any suspicion as well. Is that acceptable, Number One?”
The larger pony’s outline nodded once.
“It is.”
Three’s words seemed to infuriate Two, the pony letting out a hiss.
“Fine. Four and Five; you are also in agreement with this strategy? Comfortable with the current leadership still?”
A mare’s outline nodded, as did another unicorn’s.
“We are.”
Two let out a frustrated growl, waving a hoof.
“So be it. But you all know that this isn’t over.”
“Of course not. But we cannot contain what has already escaped. Now, we’re just the poor, beaten company with a bunch of innocent creatures caught in our nets,” Three said with a chuckle. “We cooperate as much as is feasible, laying the groundwork for deeper networks as we do so. This is a long game, Two. I know Split Tie was your friend, but that facility was, quite frankly, a ticking time bomb.”
Two’s eyes lifted, the screen only showing their dark brown depths.
“You would know about time bombs, Three. What about that thing still out there, right? What’s your plan for that?”
A pair of golden eyes now shone on the screen, the unicorn snorting.
“Our facilities and creatures can weather any figurative or literal explosion such a cascading event may produce, even one that could destroy nations. Whether or not weaker creatures can, is not our concern. Quite frankly, it’d be rather beneficial to have a blank slate to start with. Should there be a large-scale event, it would make nations ripe for us to help them rebuild their foundations and begin our work anew. Wouldn’t you agree?”
Seeing all the ponies nod, Two included, Three let out a huff. “Are there any other issues to be brought to the council at this time? No?”
The unicorn tapped twice, the screen fading.
“Then this meeting is adjourned.”
And thus this particular adventure comes to a close. Stay tuned for the Epilogues next week!
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Nice secretive ending, and a build up for the next story. You are on a roll!
Also loved the Hercules song being added in, though I haven't heard the metal rendition of it.
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Had to have a few songs in there for our lovely Thestrals! I'm glad you've enjoyed the ride thus far!
Oh thank goodness, a cliffhanger.
Other people get frustrated at such things, but i see them as a sign that the author intends to continue with more story.
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Oh, there's a definite sequel I'm already working on. That's for sure!
its been so long since I lest read this story, being chapter 37
so I guess I will start from the beginning.
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Well, looks like another silo elevator has both these bats' name on it
Me: sees the title of the chapter
My mind: Oh my God, when will this ride END?!
Oh, no, that word...
'cascades'...
"The right man [pony] in the wrong place can make all the difference in the world."
Seems that Equestria has more unforeseen consequences coming its way, and soon...
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I think they'll do their best to stay above ground
*throws everything off table* SON OF A-----!!!!!
Been loving your story and glad to see it progressing to outside the silo's
Can't say I am happy to see the corporation back up and running
*Quietly picks up papers off floor*
Thank you for such a great story
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You didn't think it was THAT easy, did you?
And I'm glad you've enjoyed it!
.... Aaaayep. Goin' on to deep core shadow corp bs now eh...? Aite. I know how ta handle this..... I just need a speedy mech with a lot of alpha damage and pulls 5 Gs in a dodge. Jump flight capabilities optional. High Explosives not optional. WIRE ME UP BABY!
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This meeting of Providence is adjourned….
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Nah, no jump jets for me. Just 95 tons of Star League war industry, a pause of gauss rifles, and I’m set.
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I'm talking Armored Core mechs here dude. Not Battletech.
Mhh, I can not accurately describe to you in words how eager I am to watch all that these monsters in pony skin have made, all their "carefully" laid out plains, fall to rubble and ruin before their eyes.
No matter how many sequels or books it takes from here, it will be so fulfilling to see evil get it's just comeuppance.
And you can be damn sure I will watch it with glee.
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Just one more book is planned- and then this entire "story" in the Radverse will come to a close. But it's probably going to be easily 2x as long as SL-5.
So...yeah. Buckle up.
Next week I'll release 3 epilogues (one of which is a CHONKER) and the Introduction to the new story and then take a few weeks break before resuming weekly/bi-weekly uploads.
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.... Break...? What is this alien concept of a.... Break....?
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I'd say weekly/bi-weekly uploads have been a pretty good standard for...how long this fic has been running. Wow, almost exactly two years!