Into the Void: A Stallion's Tale
English isn't Powerdrainer's first language, so there are a few mistakes. Otherwise, it's a great chapter.
Into the Void: A Stallion's Tale.
By Powerdrainer
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"Have you ever wondered what's out there?" I ask, lying in the tall grass at night, staring up at the star filled sky, making true to my name, Star Watcher.
"Like what?" my friend, Light Sparks replies as he looked up through his hazel brown mane.
"Maybe somepony out there is wondering what's it like here?"
"I guess? You think we'll ever meet them?" Light asks as he shoots me a sideways glance
"I hope so. Don't you?" I say hopefully, looking up for a moment, before returning my gaze to my friend, and seeing his limp, bloodied form lying on the ground.
Explosions shook my bones, and the floor shuddered under my hooves. The large window before me, as thick as my hoof, began to creak and crack, fissures forming through the clear surface, while the bulkheads groaned in protest.
I held my friend in my hooves, blood seeping from his head after he was blown against the far wall by the last explosion, staining his light green fur. His limp, unconscious form too heavy for me to move, as my own strength was drained from the efforts to keep up the shield. A shield I could now see collapsing out through the cracked window. And I knew that, even if I could move my friend, it wouldn't matter.
I heard the many shouts of those all around me. Ponies, Humans, Aviva, Korg, and others I couldn't remember the name off. Their shouts, either in pain from the injuries they sustained, to call out any desperate orders to save themselves and everyone else, or the dying screams of those who were fortunate enough to die before things could get worse.
I lost myself in the desperation, nothing registering to me anymore, and the horrible sounds of death and destruction around me faded away into the background as I stared at the broken reflection of myself in the ever breaking window. My own light green eyes stared back at me as I looked at the dark blue stallion with a vibrant yellow mane, before I focused past my own image, and onto the stars beyond, finding a sense of peace with them.
The stars have always talked to me, ever since I was a little colt, lying in the tall grass near my village, staring up at the stars. But this time, as I looked out at the glowing gems so far away, my attention was drawn to the massive ball of light closing in on me. On us.
I knew what it was. I knew who made it. I knew, but I couldn't understand. How could anyone, no matter what species they were, do such a thing? To wage war on all living things like they do. But I was too far lost in muted shock to even care as I stared at the glowing orb of death closing in on all of us. I knew that we were doomed, as the flimsy shield that still covered the ship we were in finally flickered and died, none of the unicorns on board able to sustain the protective bubble. All of them drained of strength, or death. I envied the latter.
I knew we were going to die, all of us. And with it came an odd sense of calmness. I breathed out slowly as I averted my eyes from the rapidly approaching star of death, and focused on the smaller, more peaceful ones so far away.
…
The stars have always talked to me, ever since I was a little colt. They were talking to me now. And my world went blank in a bright white.
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Several years ago.
Years had passed since that night in the field, staring up at the wondrous sky, imagining what could be out there. Light Sparks and I had grown up as well, and started to become fine stallions, if our mothers were any indication. The same was true for any other colt and filly living in our small community, as each and everyone of them grew up, earned their Cutie Mark, and started to shape their own lives. Yes, everypony had figured out who they were, and what they wanted to do with their lives. Everypony, except me.
Even at the age of sixteen, my flank remained as barren as the day I was born. The other ponies bullied me for it, calling me a Blank Flank, as well as other names. Light Sparks, however, always remained a friend, and always stood up for me. He had always been the stronger of us two. Bigger, more muscular, stronger magic. A real tough guy, but with a kind heart. He would always be there for me, no matter what. As would I be there for him.
And today was no exception.
I sat in one of the soft seat cushions placed in the waiting room of the hospital, waiting for any news. I was nervous, a lot. But who wouldn't? Light was sitting next to me, the two of us inseparable. Ponies who didn't know us often mistaken us for brothers. Hay, my parents practically adopted him as a son. And vice versa regarding me and Light's folks, which was something we had no problem with at all. And I guess it was somewhat true, us being brothers that is. We might not have been related in blood, but we certainly are in bond. And having him here now meant a great deal to me, as my father was unable to stay with me. No, he was currently otherwise occupied. Staying in the room my mother was lying, her pained screams escaping through the door every now and then.
I was nervous, a lot. After all, it isn't everyday you become a big brother.
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Five years have passed since we welcomed my little brother, Sunray, into our family. He, just like our mother, was a pegasus, and a happy one for that. He would always smile and laugh about anything, even if there wasn't a reason to. His name, as he soon proved, was a perfect match. As, wherever he would be, the room seemed to lit up with his cheerful attitude. But now, though, there was little to laugh. War was coming.
But maybe I am moving too fast. So lets take a step back, and I'll explain what's going on.
Ever since I became a big brother, I have been doing my best to live up to the role. Watching over, and protecting the little pegasus as he first learned to walk, then fly. And soon, he would circle around my head, laughing as he did so. A laugh we all shared. Of course, responsibilities of being a big brother aside, I also worked hard to become my own pony. Unfortunately, even though I tried so hard, I never earned my Cutie Mark. But I came to the point where I no longer cared about such a thing. I know who I am, and I know what I like. Mainly, watching the stars.
It wasn't a surprise to anypony when I chose to become an astronomer. After All, ever since my parents gotten me that telescope for my tenth birthday I could be found outside at night, staring hopefully into space, hoping to catch a glimpse of something, anything out there. Stars, planets… Aliens. Any of it. Light Sparks joins me on occasions, jokingly asking me if I had found anything yet. And, of course, I would say I hadn't. At least, nothing we didn't already know about.
However, that changed on that fateful night. A night I will never forget, nor the events that would follow.
I was, as usual, out at night. Standing out in the field Light and I spend several nights years back, just looking at the stars, adjusting the dials on my telescope. Many nights for many years I have scanned the skies, and I knew every star by heart. But this time I had trouble believing what I saw. I was sure that I was seeing things, as what I was seeing was something I could have only dreamed off. I looked up from the telescope, rubbing my eye, and blinking to clear them, before taking another look, expecting the object I knew was not real to have vanished. It hadn't.
I took a step away from my treasured telescope, looking up with wide eyes and mouth slightly ajar while an excited smile began to grow on my muzzle, while my legs began to tremble in excitement.
"It… It is…" I blabbered, unable to come with the words as I started laughing loudly, almost dancing on the spot as I stared up, unblinkingly.
"Star? What is going on?" Light Sparks asked as he walks towards me, "I can hear you all the way back home!"
"Look!" I shouted excited, pointing at my telescope.
"You know I have seen your telescope before, right?" he asks me with a small smirk, using one of his more 'classic' jokes. But I was too elated to bother, and only repeated myself while pointing urgently at the telescope.
Shrugging, Light relented as he stepped closer to my most prized possessions. Looking through the eyepiece, he was expecting to see yet another distant star, or, more embarrassing, a smudge on the lense like last time, and which I mistook for an previously unknown meteor. This time, however, it was neither one of those things. And I knew that what I had seen was real, as I saw my friend go rigid on the spot, safe for his mouth, which fell open with amazing speed.
"Star…" he says slowly, taking a step back from the telescope and turning to me, "Is that…?"
"It is!" I shout, laughing like I have never laughed before, "An actual spaceship, in orbit around the planet!"
And it was true. There was indeed a small ship going around Avol, and I had discovered it. But, as I would later learn. I was not the first pony to see it. Nor would I have been the first pony to discover life outside our own world. No, that privilege went to the one flying the ship. A mare well known all around. A mare we believed death. A mare who returned to use with a wealth of knowledge, and who brought something else with her as well. A force of darkness that followed her to our peaceful world, and which would change the lives of all forever.
Of course I didn't waste any time trying to bring my discovery to attention. However, the ship soon disappeared from view, its path around the planet only allowing me brief glances at the wondrous sight. But, I surmised, it would return if it stayed in its current orbit. And if it did, I would be there to see it. And it did. The next night I was quick to aim the magnifying lens of my telescope towards the patch of sky I previously saw the ship, and I was elated to find it was still there. Heck, I even rushed back home to pull my little brother out of his bed to show him the wondrous discovery his big brother had made. My parents, understandably, protested when I rushed in and all but foalnapped Sunray. But, after they too looked up, any objections stopped as they, too, fell silent.
It was them that, eventually, brought me to sent a letter to the Princesses to inform them about my find. Little did I know that they would soon discover more than even I thought possible.
Now, several other things happened after I send my letter, but nothing much that is worth mentioning. In fact, if you want to know what happened with the Princesses and the one piloting the ship, I recommend the book: Into the Black: The Tale of Twilight Sparkle.
Now, let's see. Where was I? Ah, yes.
A couple of days had passed since my discovery, and the news of Miss Twilight's miraculous return to our world, as well as the amazing, and world shaking news of alien life existing among the stars was revealed. Something that was received with mixed reactions. There was joy and elation among those who knew Miss Twilight, or who at one point in their lives were helped indirectly through the combined efforts of the Elements of Harmony. And there was excitement, and even a hint of fear over the announcement of other beings out there. However, the one thing that sparked an public outrage, and that set in motion the events that are now well recorded in not just ours, but others' history as well, would be the announcement of the devastating war these beings found themselves in. And worse, it was spreading to our world as well.
This news, understandably, was cause for concern for many ponies. Ponies were either panicking, not knowing what to expect, while others were far too calm, most likely expecting things to simply be stopped by the Elements like they had done so many times before in the past. Of course we all made preparations. Pushing furniture against the doors, or boarding up the windows. I even heard of a town some distance away where they dragged a massive boulder into the middle of town, planning to buck it at the invading force, or something like that?
My parents and I were no exception. We fortified our home, making sure that it wouldn't get damaged should any fight break out in our village. If only we knew what kind of destructive force would find its way onto our world. Would we even have bothered with our 'preparations'? I, however, couldn't shake the feeling my place was somewhere else. I stared up at the night's sky every night from that point on, without my telescope, as I wasn't sure I wanted to see what was happening out there in the inky void. But as I looked up, the stars shone down on me, their sparkling light reflecting in my eyes, and I knew what I had to do, where I needed to be. Didn't mean my parents were happy with it.
"No!" my father, Sparks Eternal said, while my mother, Morning Breeze looked at me with large, worried eyes, "Have you gone mad!? There is no way in Tartarus that you are going!"
"Star, think about what you're saying." my mother pleaded with me while I continued packing my bag, "It isn't safe."
"I know it isn't." I answered her, "But I have to go."
"Why? Because the stars told you so!?" my father said angrily, and I sighed out loudly.
It wasn't the first time this had come up, with me saying the stars talked to me, and others not believing me. Even my own parents had trouble believing it, but they had never called me out on it. After all. We all need something to believe in, and this was mine. Or so they thought. What ever the case, they respected my believes, and didn't say much about it. That is, until now.
Of course they approaching war that was upon us played a role in this, as I knew my father would never say something like that, as he did now. The unbelieving tone in his voice cutting me deep, but I steeled myself as I knew what I had to do. I turned to look my father straight in the eyes. Still his son, but no longer a little foal. Two equals. Two adults. Two different paths.
"Yes, yes they did. And so what? We all know a conflict is coming, and there is nothing we can do to stop it. We all have prepared to the best of our abilities, and now all we can do is sit and wait for them to show up. Waiting for them to deliver the first blow."
"But Star, we need you here." my mother said with a worried, sad voice. Tears brimming in her eyes, "We all do. Who is going to look after you when you're gone? What will Sunray think when his big brother just leaves like that?"
My head drooped a bit as I sigh out, looking past my parents, and through the open door of my room, seeing the curious and worried eyes of my little brother peek past the corner, before he spots me and scurries away. "Tell him… Tell him I am doing this for him. For all of you." I say, and turn back to my saddlebags lying on my bed, closing them up, and using my magic to place them on my back, before I sighed out yet again, "Look. I know you don't agree with me on this, but it is something I have to do. You all read the report in the papers. They are looking for any abled unicorn to help the, eh… Alliance. And I am going. I have to. I… I just know I have to."
"Why!" my father bellowed, "Because the stars told you so? Grow up, son. It isn't real! The stars don't talk to you. It's just your imagination!"
"Then I guess I am following my dreams." I stated, ending the conversation as I stepped out of my room, leaving my parents standing there, speechless, as I left our home, and headed to the train station.
The walk over to the station was a difficult one, as I knew that I was also walking away from everything I know and hold dear. The wait on the station was even worse, as I was left alone with my thoughts, repeating everything that was said back home. But atleast I was granted some respite from the downwards circle of my thoughts as Light Sparks joined me, saddlebags also placed on his back.
"... So, I see you're going as well." he begins after an awkward silence.
"... Yeah. I guess I am."
"Good. Then I am not the only one." he says, steeled resolve showing in his eyes, and I felt my own resolve strengthened as a result.
….
"It's funny." I say after a while, looking up at the mid day sky.
"What?"
"Just, us. We used to lay in the grass at night, staring up at the stars, wondering what might be out there…." I answer, before falling silent, and Light shot a look upwards as well.
"Hey, Star. Have you wondered what's out there?" he asks, a sly smile showing on his muzzle.
"Yes. Now, let's find out!" I answer, grinning back at him.
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Now, I am not going to bore you with the details of the ride to Canterlot, Equestria's main capital. Things were said, jokes were made, and expectations and anxiety were rising with every mile we traveled. And, finally, we arrived at the city attached to a mountain. The home of the Princesses, and a beehive of activity.
Ponies were going back to fro, either packing their belongings and leave the city, or they were stocking up for the fight to come. But that was not what caught Light and my attention. No, that would be the mix of creatures moving around, shouting orders to keep everything running smoothly as they unloaded items of their flying machines near the castle grounds. Aliens, and their spaceships.
Never before had I seen such creatures. And at the time I could not even begin to describe the various forms of what I later learned were Humans, Korg, and Aviva. Along their sides were several unicorn guards, both of the day and night division, who were helping the strange and fascinating creatures with the unloading of their supplies through use of their magic. Something the aliens did seem wary about to an extend. I would later learn why, seeing it with my own eyes.
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Light and I followed the masses of volunteers into the castle's courtyard, where we were addressed by both Princess Celestia, and Princess Luna.
"My beloved ponies," Celestia started, and the crowd fell silent, "I am proud to see so many of you answered to our calling for help. As you all know, a great conflict is upon us."
"A force of magically capable aliens, known as the Dratali, are on their way to our fair world." Luna continued, "Who are led by the traitor Xander, who has shown to have no regards to the lives of others. Our friends from among the stars, who are also responsible for the safe return of our friend, Twilight Sparkle, have come here to help us fight this oncoming threat."
"However," Celestia picked back up, "The Aviva, Korg, Humans and others that came here were not expecting their enemies to show up, and are therefore ill prepared. They came here on a diplomatic mission, and thus, left the bulk of their strenght to fight in the war waging among the stars they come from. This is where you come in, my beloved ponies."
"The ships that are here are few, but also our best chance to keep the approaching Dratali at bay." Luna spoke again, "We know we are unable to stop them all, but we must prevent as much of them from landing on our world. Therefore you will all be assigned specific tasks best suited to your abilities. Our commanders of the royal guard, aided by our new allies, will help and train you should this be needed to prepare you for what is to come." she informed, indicating the unicorn, pegasus, and earth pony commanders, fully armored, and joined by several of the tall aliens.
"Of course, as my sister said, the Alliance their ships are our first line of defence, and should be protected to the best of our abilities. Therefore, all capable unicorns will be split up among these ships, and they will use their magic to project a shield around them."
"Do know that this is a dangerous task," Luna stated, looking over the crowd, and her eyes seemed to lock on mine for a split second, before she continued, "and not all of you will return. We know this is asking a lot of you, and you are in no way forced to do this. Should you not want to do this, then you are free to leave. But we ask you to keep faith, and stand tall in the face of danger. Not just for yourself, but for your fellow ponies. Your fathers. Your mothers. Your brothers and sisters. Everypony, and everyone. Stand tall my ponies, for united we stand, divided we fall."
The Princesses stepped down, accompanied by the many cheers and shouts. We all wanted to let them know we wouldn't run, and to show these Dratali who they were dealing with. Light and I shared a glance with one another, and gave eachother a determined nod. No matter what would happen, we would have eachothers back. That just left one problem. I didn't know how to project a shield, which meant that I wouldn't be selected to help on board one of the ships. And I knew deep down that that was where I needed to be. Fortunately, Light did have some experience with that kind of spells. I just hoped he was able to give me a crash course in shield magic, or I would have to find some other way on board on one of those ships.
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Light, I and all the other unicorns found in the courtyard were now gathered in one of the greater halls of the castle, repurposed for the impromptu training we were about to receive I believed. The pegasi and earth ponies were no longer with us. We were split up in regards of our race, and receiving the training and instructions that were most useful to us based on our racial traits. After all, just as I would never be able to use any of the inherent magic earth ponies or pegasi could use, they could not perform any of the more direct magic we unicorns could preform.
So, as we were all standing in this grand chamber, normally used for galas, or other upper class social gatherings, a tangible tension settled down over everypony present. In front of us all stood the royal guard's unicorn commander, Ornate Charm. A mare of formidable magical capabilities, if the hushed whispers I picked up were any indication. And standing next to her was what I assumed a Korg. I was still very much unfamiliar with any of these new species, and I could have been mistaken. However, during my short time in Canterlot, picking up the many rumors and conversation between ponies, I did pick up on some knowledge to identify some of the aliens now among our midst. And, seeing the feline appearance of this being, I was moderately confident that this was one of those Korg some of the ponies that had interacted with them before spoke of.
"Alright everypony. Listen up!" Ornate Charm spoke up, her voice magically amplified to cut through the chatter, "Now, I am not going to lie, or tell pretty stories. A massive manure storm is heading our way. And unless we can get you in some fighting shape, we will all find ourselves buried neck deep in it. As the Princesses have already told you, we are looking for any unicorn capable of casting a shield spell. Our new friends will have need of it to protect their ships." she said loud and clear, giving an indicating nod to the Korg standing by her side.
"Further more. You will all going to need some training in hoof to hoof combat, should you ever find yourself in a situation where such is required. That is why Ba-Rok is here," she said, and the Korg gave a single, curt nod in response, "He knows all there is to know about the Dratali, and is here to help us to modify some of our own fighting techniques to be of better use to the non pony targets we might, and will face."
I gulped audibly, as did many others as well over this news. We all knew what we were heading into, but this made it so much more real. No matter what we knew what was coming. No matter how much we thought we were ready. This really was something you could not prepare for, and we were only just finding out just how ill prepared we really were. I nervously glanced at Light, who kept staring forwards, a bead of sweat rolling down his forehead.
Nervously, I exhaled, mentally picturing the shield matrix Light had showed me several minutes prior. It was complex, but not something I thought impossible. I just hoped I was able to pull it off and gain a spot on board one of their ships. A decision I was beginning to question, but knowing deep down that it was the right one.
Minutes seemed to have passed by as my mind went a million miles an hour, while only seconds had passed since Ornate Charm had spoken. And in those few seconds, Ba-Rok had stepped forwards.
"Greetings everyone," he spoke, his voice clearly giving away his gender, "I am First Lieutenant Ba-Rok. Now, as you commander said, I will instruct you in hand to hand… er.. Hoof to hoof combat. However, as time is a luxury we can not afford, this training will only be given to those who stay on Avol. Those of you who will accompany us in our ships, and help defend this world from orbit will be excluded from these trainings, as they will need to focus on their shield magic." he explained, and I couldn't help but notice the undertone in his voice when he mentioned magic.
"Indeed." Ornate Charm spoke up, "So, if you ponies would split up in two groups, please. Those of you who can perform a shield spell, stand on the right of the room. While those of you who can't, go to the left."
In a mixture of murmurs and hooves clopping on the marble floor, the mass of ponies soon split up in two, with me and Light standing on the right side of the room. A group that was noticeably smaller than the other.
Ornate Charm and Ba-Rok looked around the room, silently conversing with one another, while everypony else was keeping quiet, waiting for further instruction.
"Very well," Ornate Charm spoke up suddenly, "Okay, everypony on the left, please follow Ba-Rok to the guards training grounds!" she instructed, and Ba-Rok began to lead the larger group of ponies back outside, while my group remained standing where they were, "As for you," she continued after a moment, and the other group had left, "Let's see what you can do."
I gulped once again, feeling much less confident than I did when I first decided to come here.
"Hey, Star." Light whispered, "I hope you know what you're doing."
"So do I." I answer back in an even quieter voice, "So do I."
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Don't ask me how I managed it. For the life of me, I do not know. All I know is that when it was my turn to demonstrate my shielding capabilities, I did not completely mess up. Not enough to be sent packing, that is. In fact, there were those who were completely unable to perform the spell required, and compared to them I was almost experienced. Still, I managed to earn myself a spot on one of the ships, and we were all assigned a spot aboard best suited to our magic's strength. I, well, I ended up at the starboard side. Not directly in the line of fire, as my magic had proved to be not strong enough to take the brunt of any attack. Atleast I had the good luck to be assigned with Light as my partner. His magic, although stronger than mine, was still weaker than some of the other ponies here. Not that we minded. We were, in a strange kind of way, glad that we had made it.
Of course we weren't sent up for action immediately. First we got acquainted with the ship we were serving on, lest we get lost during an emergency. And I also spent every bit of free time I could get my hooves on to practice my shield magic. It wasn't much to brag about, but I was getting better. It almost felt natural in some way, but I couldn't put my hoof on it why. Not that I had much time to dwell on this, though. Only a few short days had passed, and the word came out that the Dratali fleet had entered our solar system, and were heading to Avol. In fact. Some scouting parties had already landed, and we were rushing to our stations accompanied by the shrill screams of the on board alarm system.
The ship I served on, the Winter's Dawn, was one of the smaller vessels of the group, but still large enough to leave me winded when I finally arrived at my assigned station. Light was already there, horn alight, and I saw a shimmering shield starting to form outside through the thick window in our compartment. I wasted no more time, and lit up my own horn with a shield of my own, joining the many others, and mixing our magic to project a large magic bubble around our ship. The light green of my magic, along with the various shades of the other's magic blending together into an uniform, translucent white; completely covering the ship from back to front.
"How's thing going here?" a faintly familiar voice asked, and Light, I, and the few others in this compartment turned to see May-Lywn, a female Korg/Human hybrid we met onboard, and who had led us around to help us get orientated, standing behind us, fully clad in combat armor the likes of which we had never seen before.
"So far so good." Light answered with a tense voice.
"Good. Better prepare yourself, though. Things are about to get a whole lot more… difficult." she mused knowingly, starting with hard eyes out through the window and into space.
"May," one of the humans stationed here spoke up, and I redirected my attention to him, "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be on station in the medbay?"
"No. Captain's orders. They've seen the fleet heading our way, and it isn't good. I'm here to be able to help immediately when the shit hits the fan. Our success greatly depends on our new friends keeping this shield up for as long as possible, and I am here to see to it. Others are also stationed with the ponies in the other segments of the ship."
I, as well as others gulped audibly when we heard that, feeling even more nervous than we did a moment ago, while I could feel the ship's engines rumble through the thick metal deck. Looking outside again, I saw the brilliant orb that is Avol, with its blues and greens shift to that of the inky void of space, filled with the many flickering stars I used to look up at. The stars, once calm and serene, now filled with danger beyond anything I previously thought possible.
We were told what to expect, what the Dratali were capable off, their misguided religious quest to eradicate all life from existence, and most importantly for us, what kind of firepower their ships have. Ships we were now engaging in an effort to keep as much of them from landing on Avol. Ships which were now targeting us to blow a hole through our defenses. Ships with more firepower than we have. Ships that were firing.
A massive magic projectile slammed into the shield we were casting around the ship, and I, along with all the other ponies I could hear, grunted out in pain and strain, and we found ourselves disorientated from the sudden blow. A blow that was soon followed by a second and a third. Ponies all around screamed out, and some of the 'weaker' ones of us lost consciousness as they could not withstand the assault on our linked magic. Others, myself included, managed to shake off the effects of the magic missiles assaulting our defences, but only just. Darkness began to creep in in the edges of my vision, and I had to focus myself entirely on just casting the shield and staying conscious. A task that was near impossible, as this was something I had never gone through. But who had? This was something no one could prepare for, no matter how much one might try. Still, gritting my teeth, I pushed myself through the dark haze settling in in my mind, and my vision started to clear just in time to see another orb of destructive magic slam into the shield. This time, the shockwave managed to penetrate, rocking the ship and sending ponies and other tumbling to the deck, while one or two of the consoles imbedded in the walls began to spark and sputter.
The sounds of ponies screaming around me became apparent as I forced myself off of the deck, and I saw that some of the others in this compartment were lying unconscious against the walls. The blast having launched them to the place they were no lying. One of them the human who had spoken earlier, with May-Lywn crouching over him, checking if he was al right, while she stood unsteadily on her own feet.
"STAR! FOCUS!" Light shouted, snapping me out of my stupor, and I realized I accidentally dropped my spell, weakening the shield even more. I wasted no time lighting up my horn again, and rejoining the effort to keeping our hides in one piece. Not that it mattered much. The previous hits had already weakened us all, and when the next hit came, the shield began to flicker and fade, before reasserting itself again.
We began to take more and more damage, while I could also feel the dull thumbs of missiles firing though my hooves, as we were returning fire. I could see some of the exhaust streaks left behind by the missiles, before flashes of light from the detonations obscured them. I also saw the other ships belonging to us, with ponies serving on each of them, and a white bubble covering them as well. A shell of magic that was assaulted by the multitude of destructive magic as the Dratali send one volley of their missiles after another, leaving us no room to prepare for the next wave. And it was of no surprise to me when I saw one of the shields around one of the smaller ships, one of the same size as I was on, flicker and die, leaving the ship completely vulnerable.
Multiple fighter jets flew past, both ours and the enemy's. The small, agile ships of ours flew in wild patterns, trying to shake off, or trying to get a lock on the Dratali ships who were engaging the shieldless ship, Razors Edge, scoring multiple hits on the unprotected hull, and blowing out a window. A soundless explosion was what followed as the air in ship explosively decompressed, blowing out everything and everyone who were unfortunate enough to be there when it happened. Automated systems of the Razors Edge sealed the emergency blast doors, but it was already too late for those who who were now drifting through space, hands or hooves grasping at their throats as their final, crystallized breath seeped out through their open mouths while the light in their eyes dimmed and faded.
All our ships returned fire, destroying some of the small ships, while some of our own were also caught in the crossfire, while other of the Dratali ship executed a kamikaze on the Razors Edge, trying to inflict as much damage as they could in their final act.
I forced my eyes away from the gruesome sight, and focused on just casting my spell; feeling the diminished magical energy from the other unicorns onboard who were also trying their hardest to keep out shield alive, and prevent the same from happening to us. Still, with everything suddenly escalating as they were, I could not help it to whisper a silent prayer for help to the stars themselves, knowing full well that it was pointless notion, but it helped me focus my mind.
****
Meanwhile, down on the surface of Avol Luna was leading a fierce, bloody battle against the Dratali invaders with a selection of her most trusted guards, clad in full body armor not unlike that which she wore while under the influence of the nightmare's corruption. A wicked scream left her as she cleaved yet another of the misguided aliens with her sword, before pulling it free with a yank of her magic, spraying a fountain of blood from the limp body and staining her already blood covered armor and coat.
Dratali around her let loose a battle cry of their own as they charged at the moon Princess, who stood prepared and ready to strike, when a whisper took her by surprise, and she looked around in confusion, missing the blind attack one of the Dratali executed.
"Princess!" one of her guards yelled as he slammed into her side, pushing her away and catching the attack herself. She was dead before she hit the ground.
Luna screamed out in rage as she focused her white glowing eyes on the enemy, charging her horn with ancient, powerful magic.
Should anyone onboard of the ships happen to have looked down at Avol at the time, they would have seen a bright white dot on the planet's surface.
<<>><<>><<>>
The lights were barely functioning as we crawled through space, trying to take out some of the stragglers as we were no longer in any fighting shape. Through no small miracle we managed to survive the volley of destructive energy and projectiles the Dratali send our way, but at a hefty price.
The ships command center, destroyed. An horribly lucky shot for the Dratali managed not only to penetrate our shield, which was flimsy at best, but also hit the bridge, completely obliterating it, and killing all occupying the area. Crippled, and with no chain of command, we were slow to respond and regroup, and for the longest of time we just drifted aimlessly through the void of space, slowly being pulled in by Avol's gravity. But, slowly, several surviving groups on board managed to regain some measure of control by rerouting the ships controls to a secondary command center located in engineering.
'Slow, directional control' they called it. Steering the ship through directly controlling the engines on site. But it was slow going, as almost all the ships functionality was gone when the Dratali destroyed the bridge, and damaged other vital sections of the Winters Dawn. We were crawling around with a snail's pace, and with almost no weapons to speak off. And as for the crew and ponies on board. Well, few of us remained. The Alliance soldiers who were clad in their armor did do better than us ponies, and the majority of casualties were of us equines, but even they had suffered heavy losses. And that was just our own ship. We had no idea how the others were doing. All communication lost. The only reason we were even left alive was because the Dratali no longer perceived us as a threat, and were focusing on those who were still able to fight them. But they would return, we know. As soon as they were finished with those who could still lash out at them.
May-Lywn moved from body to body, checking to see who was still alive, and who was not. She had survived, yes. But one of her arms was broken, and held in an odd angle. Light Sparks, my friend was also still among the living, but he barely had the strength left to stand, let alone to keep up a shield. As for myself. The stabbing pain in my chest gave some idea of what was wrong with me, and May-Lywn confirmed what I suspected a few minutes prior. Broken ribs. Five of them at minimum. Possibly more. Not to mention the many cuts and bruises we gained from being flung around from the explosions rocking the ship.
Another flash of light drew my attention back to the slightly cracked glass of the window, seeing one of the small Dratali ships harassing us detonating, taken out by our ships light defensive systems, creating a miniature solar system for a split second with the explosion at the center and the debris orbiting around it. But it was what happened next what drew the attention of any still conscious, and immediately making them wish they weren't.
Explosions once more rocked the ship, and the emergency lighting died, leaving us in pitch black, with only the large Dratali ship coming at us to see through the window. Light, I, and whichever unicorn still able onboard quickly reinforced the shield, focusing our magic on the point of attack as we were no longer able to completely cover the ship. Which also meant we were an open target for anyone else. Multiple Dratali fighter vessels took the opportunity to score multiple hits on the Winters Dawn, and small explosions reverberated throughout the metallic construct still holding the ship together… barely. But we couldn't focus on them, as the real threat came from the massive ship aiming its weapons at us, and fired.
I screamed out in strain and pain, mirrored by Light, and probably by any of the other unicorns as our shield took the hit, draining us from our strength and weakening the protective barrier. A second blast soon followed, and we were no longer able to fully stop it. It slammed through our shield, losing strength as it did so, before hitting the ship.
A massive explosion knocked us off of our hooves, and Light slammed into the far wall, dropping to the ground in an unconscious heap, while others screamed out in pain and fear. May-Lywn didn't fare much better, as she was barely able to stand up right, leaning against a wall next to one of the few still functioning consoles. Yet another explosion rocked our ship, no longer any shield there to stop the attacks, and the console exploded in a massive fire ball, blowing May-Lywn halfway across the deck. Dead or unconscious, I did not know. Not that it mattered, seeing how we were all going to be dead soon anyhow.
Another explosion finally managed to knock me out, and for a few blissful moments my mind escaped to a happier time and place.
'Have you ever wondered what's out there?'
Explosions shook my bones, and the floor shuddered under my hooves, bringing me back to the horror of reality. The large window before me, as thick as my hoof, began to creak and crack, fissures forming through the clear surface, while the bulkheads groaned in protest as I dragged myself back on my hooves with whatever dwindling strength I had left, forcing myself to my friend, who was still unconscious and was not forced to witness the end like I was. Still, in a last act of defiance to the Dratali, I summoned whatever magic I still had to project a flimsy and weak shield between us and the attacking ship, knowing it was a futile action. But if I was to go down, I would go down fighting to my last breath. Fighting for my family, my friends, and my world.
I held my friend in my hooves as that conviction settled in my mind, blood seeping from his head after he was blown against the far wall by the last explosion, staining his light green fur. His limp, unconscious form too heavy for me to move, as my own strength was drained from the efforts to keep up the shield. A shield I could now see collapsing out through the cracked window. And I knew that, even if I could move my friend, it wouldn't matter.
I heard the many shouts of those all around me who were still able to do so. Ponies, Humans, Aviva, Korg, and others I couldn't remember the name off. Their shouts, either in pain from the injuries they sustained, to call out any desperate orders to save themselves and everyone else, or the dying screams of those who were fortunate enough to die before things could get worse. Not like it could get worse, though.
I lost myself in the desperation, nothing registering to me anymore, and the horrible sounds of death and destruction around me faded away into the background as I stared at the broken reflection of myself in the ever breaking window. My own light green eyes stared back at me as I looked at the dark blue stallion with a vibrant yellow mane, before I focused past my own image, and onto the stars beyond, finding a sense of peace with them.
The stars have always talked to me, ever since I was a little colt, lying in the tall grass near my village, staring up at the stars. But this time, as I looked out at the glowing gems so far away, my attention was drawn to the massive ball of light closing in on me. On us.
I knew what it was. I knew who made it. I knew, but I couldn't understand. How could anyone, no matter what species they were, do such a thing? To wage war on all living things like they do. But I was too far lost in muted shock to even care as I stared at the glowing orb of death closing in on all of us. I knew that we were doomed, as the flimsy shield that still covered the ship we were in finally flickered and died, none of the unicorns on board able to sustain the protective bubble. All of them drained of strength, or death. I envied the latter.
I knew we were going to die, all of us. And with it came an odd sense of calmness. I breathed out slowly as I averted my eyes from the rapidly approaching star of death, and focused on the smaller, more peaceful ones so far away.
…
The stars have always talked to me, ever since I was a little colt. They were talking to me now. And my world went blank in a bright white. My mind was lost in a haze, and I had no idea what was happening. Should I have been able to see myself, however, I would not have believed my eyes. My horn glowed with magic. Not the usual light green, but a pale white. The light of the stars seemed to blur together as it converged on a single point between the Winters Dawn and the Dratali just before another magic missile impacted, catching the ball of death and leaving us unscaved. ut the strain it caused on me finally pushed me past the breaking point, and I collapsed in a heap on the cold, blood stained deck. And the last thing I saw before darkness claimed me were multiple small spherical objects swarming the Dratali ships, not knowing what they were.
****
Down on the surface of Avol, Luna was still engaged in a fierce battle against the overwhelming force of the Dratali. Word had just reached her that the evil Xander had managed to bring down her sister, and claim her magic as his own. The situation was desperate, even more so now that Twilight had succomed to her nightmare. True, she was fighting Xander, but what would happen if he was stopped, and there was nothing else to occupy her corrupted anger? But she didn't have much time to dwell on such thoughts, as she was currently fighting a wave of aliens trying to claim her life, as well of the few remaining guards still by her side.
Magic flew back and forth. Weapons discharged. And Luna's sword claimed several more Dratali with its sharpened edges. But a change was happening, and the first clue Luna got was a sensation like she had not felt for more than a millennia. Something that could not be. Something that had vanished during her descent into corruption.
"It can't be!" she proclaimed as she looked up, feeling the stars their energy converge relatively nearby. But her distraction caused her to miss the attack of the Dratali, who took the opportunity to take down the midnight Princess. Their plan failed, however, when a swarm of parasprites descended down onto them, eating their weapons and armor, leaving them vulnerable to the ponies they faced.
Luna charged her horn, and the Dratali were quick to surrender.
<<>><<>><<>>
I awoke to the sound of a steady, slow beeping, still very much unaware of where I was or what was going on, and no coherent thought took form in the fluffy cloud that was my mind. But slowly I became more aware of my surroundings. I became aware of something wrapped tightly around my chest, as well as several cloth like patches covering multiple areas of my body. A dull ache came from my chest, which brought back the painful memory of my broken ribs, which in turn brought back all the other memories, from how I gained them, what happened before that, and what happened after.
The slow, steady beeping I heard sped up as I began to shift and turn. I was sure that, if I wasn't dead, the Dratali must have captured me. But why? Not that I wanted to find out, and I struggled to free myself from the plush constriction I found myself trapped in.
"Star! Calm Down!" A familiar voice said, sounding both far away, and yet closeby as I felt someone hold me down in an attempt to keep me from moving.
My eyes snapped open as I sucked in a large breath in a gasp, my heart pounding in my throat, but slowing down, just as the beeping did. I looked around in a panic, expecting to find myself strapped down on some examination table or something, an experiment for the Dratali to find out where my kind got their magic from. Instead, I saw the large worried eyes of my father and mother, the former with several bandages covering his body, and the latter with patches of singed fur which did show signs of regrowth.
"Mom? Dad?" I groaned as I struggled to figure out what was going on, and I suddenly found myself under the assault of a small, crying projectile slamming into my chest, knocking the air out of my lungs from the pain and force.
"Big Brother!" Sunray cried, sobbing in my bandage covered chest as he held onto me tightly, agitating my injuries.
"Sunray?" I grunted, and my mom was quick to pry my little brother off of me, "... What is going on? Where am I?"
"You're in Canterlot medical, son" my father answered, giving me an apologetic look, "You… You were barely alive when they found you." he said, and my mother sobbed in response, "You've been lying in a coma for over two weeks.
I tried to swallow the dry lump suddenly stuck in my throat, but failed to do so .My mother, noticing this, quickly poured me a glass of water and helped me down the cold liquid, while my mind was trying to connect the blurry pieces of my last memories and trying to catch up with current events.
I sputtered and coughed when a realization suddenly came to me, "Light? What happened to Light?" I wheezed, trying to clear my airway.
"He is alive and well." a new voice spoke up, and we all turned to the new pony standing in the doorway. My parents bowing immediately, while Sunray looked at the dark blue alicorn with wide eyes. I tried to bow before the Princess as well, but she stopped me almost immediately, "Please, Star Watcher. Don't agitate your wounds." she said with a gentle smile, and motioning my parents to rise as well.
"He is?" I asked after a moment, in disbelief, "How? And for that matter. How did I get out of there alive as well?"
"It's all thanks to you, Star Watcher." Princess Luna answered, and we all looked at her in confusion, "Although I must say I was more than a bit surprised when I found out about you. It was to my believes that ponies with a gift such as yours were no longer around, ever since my banishment over a thousand years ago. But I'm curious, though. How long have you know of your talent?"
I shot a confused look at the Princess, and glanced over at my parents, maybe that they knew what the Princess was talking about. But all I saw was an equally confused look on their faces, as well as one of wonder on my little brother's as he stared at the Princess' eternal mane.
"Eh.. I'm sorry Princess, but what talent are you talking about?" I answer after a moment, and my ears drop a bit about what I was going to say next, "As far as I know, I do not have a talent to speak of… I don't even have a Cutie Mark."
Both Princess Luna's eyebrows raised in confusion and surprise over my confession, and she studied me for several long seconds, while my parents shot nervous glances between me and the Princess.
"...I see." Princess Luna finally said, stepping into the room and closing the door behind her with a flash of her horn, "Then perhaps I can shed some light on recent events." she begun, and sat down next to my bed, "Star Watcher, you have a gift both rare and unique. And, until I encountered you, I only knew of four other ponies who shared the same skill you have showed, not counting my sister and I. A skill I am sure was passed down through the generations until it awoke with you. A skill that, even if you are not aware of it, saved the few lives of those onboard the ship you served on."
"Wait! What?" I uttered, almost in shock. She couldn't be serious, could she? What could I have done that saved the few living beings still on the Winters Dawn, including my own?
"I see you have trouble comprehending what I have said." she mentioned as she gave me a kind smile, "But I am sure that deep down you are aware of your gift, even if you don't fully realize it. Tell me, Star Watcher. Is there something, anything that you have experienced, or are still experiencing that, when you tell others about it, they say it isn't real, or that you are just imagining it?" she asked, and my eyes widened as I shot a look at my parents. And my father in particular.
"... Actually, Princess. There is." I begun, turning back to her, "Ever since I was a little colt, the stars have been talking to me."
"Star, I'm sure the Princess doesn't me-" my father started, but a raised hoof from Princess Luna stopped him mid sentence.
"Actually. It is exactly what I wanted to hear." she told my father, who only responded by a confused look, "Star, your name could not have been more fitting. The stars are talking to you, just as they are listening to you. They helped you during your ordeal, as they saw you for what you are. Star Watcher, you, by birthright, are a Star Shaper. One who can hear the stars, and who can shape their light, and who watches and protects those around them." she said with pride in her voice as she stood up, horn alight, "It's a gift, a talent, a privilege, and a great responsibility. And you, even if you didn't know it, have showed great courage and determination to fulfill this responsibility. And, as such, you carry the mark most suited for one like yourself." and with a quick pull of her magic, she removed the white, somewhat constricting blanket from me, and showing the mark now on proud display on my flanks.
I looked wide eyed at my Mark, not able to believe my eyes. My parents and brother were speechless as well, as we all looked at the cluster of stars, surrounded by a white translucent shield which covered most of my flanks.
"Congratulations, Star Watcher." Princess Luna said, smiling, but she was not yet done, "And as you are now aware of your talent, I would like to see to it it is used to the best of your abilities. As such, I want to offer you the chance to become my personal student, and teach you the arts of star shaping."
My mouth hung open for what seemed like forever, but eventually I managed to address the Princess, unable to find the words I needed most.
"I.. I don't know what to say, Princess." I stammered, and she nodded in understanding.
"Then don't say anything. This is, understandably, all a bit overwhelming. Take your time to think about my offer. For now, just focus on getting better." she said, and turned to leave, "Now, if you excuse me. I still have a lot of work left to be done." and she opened the door with her magic, "Also, Star Watcher. There is someone here to see you." she mentioned, before leaving the room, and allowing a somewhat familiar face to enter.
"Hey." May-Lywn said with an awkward wave with her hand, and we all looked at the Human/Korg hybrid, "I've heard I've got you to thank for saving my life."
I shot a glance at my parents and brother, before turning back to the kindly smiling alien standing on the doorstep, swallowing a lump down my throat, "I, ehh.. I guss I am." I answered, giving an awkward smile back at her, and she stepped insi—
"Daaad!" a young and slightly annoyed voice took me by surprise, and I looked up and through the translucent holographic screen of my computer, seeing my daughter standing in the open door, arms crossed over her chest as she stared at me with a frown, "You promised to take me out to watch the stars." she said, lower lip pouting.
I looked at the clock on the wall, and realized it was much later than I thought it was, and with a flash of my horn I saved my work, and shut off the computer.
"I'm sorry, sweetie. I lost track of time." I tell her as I walk over to her, already able to look her in her eyes as her bipedal stance made her that much taller than my four legged stance.
I smiled apologetically to my daughter, part pony, part Korg and human. I hadn't yet been able to add that part to my story, but I would do so soon. To think that May-Lywn showing up in the hospital like she did would be the start of a long and loving relationship between the two of us. Or even to think that we would be blessed with a wonderful daughter like Nebula-Lywn. Her name was a mixture of pony and Korg names. The Nebula part came from my love of the stars and space in general. Of which my understanding grew so much more under the tutelage of Princess Luna. And the Lywn part was from the proud heritage of May-Lywn's korg side of the family. She was our pride and joy. A bond between species that could not be undone. And a truly cheerful foal. Or kitten, if May had anything to say about it.
Now though, Nebula looked at me with a displeased frown, arms still crossed as she stared at me with her cat like eyes.
"You promised." she reminded me again, and I chuckled apologetically as I scooped her up with my magic, making her snort and giggle as I tickled her, before placing her on my back.
"I did, didn't I? Well, I wouldn't want to be a liar now." I say as I walk out of my work chamber, leaving behind a slightly cluttered desk, with a well read book with a black cover image with a bright light that looked like a sun rising over a planet from orbit and silvery letters along the bottom lying on top of my paperwork. Several framed pictures could be found there as well. A couple of Light and me as we showed our medals with proud smiles. Several moments in time captured of me and May-Lywn, showing various stages of our relationship, from the awkward smiles of a new couple, to the proud and joyful smiles of parents as they looked down at their baby.
I hear the happy squeals of my daughter, and the laughter of my wife as she watches the two of us go as I step outside into the cool night. Looking up, I sigh contently while Nebula holds tightly around my neck. I give her a sideways glance, and I see her look up with wide, wonder filled eyes as she sees the bright sparkling gems known as stars. This wasn't the first time we have done this, but everytime she would act like the first time I took her out to watch the masterfully crafted nightly heaven, courtesy of Princess Luna.
I set out to the small clearing near our town, where the light of the buildings around us wouldn't interfere with our favorite pass time, making sure to make a few silly jumps here and there just to get Nebula to laugh.
"Hey, dad." she asks after a moment, "What were you doing back home?"
"Hmm? Oh, you know that book I have read so much?" I ask her, feeling her nod in response, "Well. I was working on a little tale of my own."
"Oh. Why?"
I took a moment to think about my answer, and I moved to the small clearing covered in tall grass in silence.
"Well. Many, eh, persons have a story of their own to tell. Something that has happened to them, both good and bad. I just wanted to add my own words to the tale that has been told, both the bad things, and the good." I tell her, and I reared up a bit, making Nebula giggle as she held on tightly around my neck.
"What kind of bad things are you telling about?"
"I.. ehh.. I'll tell you when you're older. Much, much older." I reply with a sudden tense voice.
"Oh. But what if people don't like your tale?"
"That is alright. I am doing this because I felt it was the right thing to do. If they don't like it, well, I'm not forcing them to read it. But if they like it, maybe someone else gets inspired to add their own story to this tale as well. What ever might happen, this is something I chose to do because it felt right. Nothing more, nothing less."
"... Do I have a story to tell too?"
"Oh, I'm sure of it, Nebula. After all, your story has only just begun." I say, and Nebula drops off of my back, and together we lay down in the tall grass, looking up at the stars so far away. And yet, they have never been closer to me as they were now.
"Hey, dad." Nebula says after a moment.
"Hmm?"
"Have you ever wondered what's out there?" she asks, and a smile grazes my lips.
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Yay, another side-chapter!
This is a bit of a D'aw chapter
Loved it!
So I haven't slept for about 28 hours, and I was reading this and I was like: "A boulder? That just sounds like a stupid thing to do-WAIT A MINUTE" and proceeded to jump in place because I remembered that I had written a thing and I was so excited. And I'm really tired now.
5103536 Go to bread!
I don't know how to feel about the side chapters anymore. It's one thing to make your own story based on a universe, but putting side chapters of completely different universes in the original fic is getting irritating, and it seems like you're just kicking a dead horse at this point. It was a good fic, the side chapters are not the original fic and really have more business being in a completely separate 'what could have been' story, or stories of their own, rather then cluttering up the faves list of people who only read for the original fic. Seriously, some ideas can be neat but they really don't belong in this particular story, especially seeing as it is complete.
May-lywn huh?! Has somepony been watching cardcaptors maybe?
fc00.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2012/252/6/c/fluttershy__s_yay_badge_by_zutheskunk-d3e8usb.png
How come reading that first bit of this chapter made me think of one of the ads for Halo 3?
5105556 Probably because I use the trailer for that part.
5105612
I also have to say, I love the last bit. It should be what every writer should think.
Don't write for fame or fortune, write because you have a story that you want to tell, Someone will eventually look at it and like it.
5106195 Nope
And now I'm tempted to make my own ItB side story that would HEAVILY deviate from the original. How heavily? It would star an OC princess in place of Twilight. I'd probably write it as a slide show of events. I blame my overactive imagination putting her in place of Star Chaser at times.
5113310 Or you could do a 'what if' with Technia in place of Twilight
5113326 That sounds even more amusing. Into the Black: A Technical Pony's Document. I shall get to it asap now.
Edit: I have this sinking feeling that I might wind up rewriting almost all of ItB.
I love this thing that seem to have started, short, side stories expanding this story with many new points of view. I hope we'll see more of them.
5180868 Gotta love the classics. Personally, I'm a fan of the old sea shanties.
Powerdrainer, have you tried to get an editor for this? If you did just a little work to this, I think it would be a supurb story, canon, or not. If you were interested, I could take a look at it on Gdocs with you and we could make her shine!
5206275 Hey, just a little tip for the next time you're trying to reply to someone. You know that little button in the upper right corner of each comment box. Yeah, click that one to make a reply to any comment of the person you wish to address. I didn't even know you gave me a comment until I looked through the comments here.
And if you want to polish up this story you're more than welcome to it. Just PM me your email address, and I'll give you edit rights in Gdocs.
5218514 Yeah, I know. I just derped out right there, it completely skipped my mind!
5221040 Hah, it happens. So, you're still want to edit this story, cause I haven't yet received your email name.
quite the epic epic here, nicely done!
5302295 More like clicking 'I agree' on something you've already read before. She knows what it entails.
5302709 Not specially modified flowers. Ponies have a similar digestive tract as humans, so they can eat the same things.
Thanks for pointing those mistakes out. I'll go through sometime to fix it.
5303865 I was going to go with calling her, "Holy shit, run."
5304114 Because my grammar sucks
!
5304473 I love Dashie, but she's not the brightest tool on the tree.
5306633 The what?
5306745 I know the comment's a week old but just to be on the safe side...
The lines:
"Twilight"
"Yes Rarity?"
Is a gag in the MLP time loops where they start off with that exact phrasing every time, with some spin offs on even that, when they just wanna put in something inane and get a couple of chuckles. It's usually followed by "Why are we ____?" and then the loop ends around there. It became a common occurrence in many of the loop chapters after it's first little intro sometime early in the time loops. It's a lot like swearing by trees, it's just a nod at the insane that occurs daily.
5337243 Ah. Thanks for explaining that. It's rather funny when references can happen completely by accident.
5306745 MLP Time Loops. It's a story on Fanfiction.net, so I don't know if it is on here.
5393012 Ponies may be likely to help those in their community, but other than Royal Guard the mane 6, both of whom are obligated as soldiers or Element Bearers, none have been shown traveling to another country to help.
5393021 Magic (or at least the ability to consciously manipulate it) likely evolved after sapience, so meat would have been necessary to get there. Also, the animals aren't quite sapient, just smarter than their Terran counterparts. Plenty of animals have been shown to be rather simple minded as well (
Scootalooschickens).5551441 I was going for a kind of Norse/Feudal Japanese mix with them, being a very honor-based, clan-structured culture. In that fact, yes, they are similar to klingons.
5635283 It wasn't when that was posted
5648640 Yes. Yes we are
5671820 How do you mean?
5689889 In the turret's defense, it was a part of the area's defenses and has been abandoned for years.
5689988 Naww, really!?
it doesn't matter how old it is, if I want to comment on something then I shall comment!
5689988 5690129 Keep comments on my stories polite. I won't tolerate arguments.
5690805 Sorry, when I'm hyper like this I get provoked very easily...
5689889
Only old if those who posted it arent around to answer anymore
5739791 Yeah, just reversed.
6430378
Seriously, though, I have a story all worked out for him.
6446957 Congradulations. You win
6478270 Yeah, sometimes one can be so smart, they get stupid.
6551953 Nah, but she's going to be turning it up to 12 again, any time soon
6581933 I wasn't really going for 'emotional'. This was just meant as a fun, action adventure with a bit of comedy and a few somewhat emotional scenes. It's like a summer blockbuster in written form.
Anyway, I'm glad you enjoyed it, despite its flaws.
6600249 If not for herding, there wouldn't be enough animal life on Earth to support human life, yet we still evolved an omnivorous diet. The problem with that on Avol is that they have numerous mammoth predators that could easily hunt them. If they kept large amounts of livestock, it would just attract those predators. That, combined with the dangerous plants and animals making hunting hazardous, is why meat is hard to get.
As for their teeth, most cartoons depict teeth that way, even humans. It's easier to animate. However, Pinkie Pie, in the Running of the Leaves episode, mentions that hot dogs are a thing. The later depicted "carrot dogs" are refereed to as carrot dogs, insinuating there is likely a difference.
P.S. Humans first evolved to eat meat by scavenging, as we weren't built for hunting. It wasn't until we developed the ability to make tools that we could hunt. One could assume it was the same for ponies.
6705121 True, but with what we know about how life works (which isn't everything but still a whole lot), it wouldn't work that way. Also, since you're rereading, you already know the reason they have a human-like diet
6884764
You have no idea.
6892216
Nice
6900648 Nice.
6914819 Damnit Link! You just had to take the title from Curt!