STAR TREK: EQUESTRIA

by Alicorne

Chapter Forty- The Faery Rede

CHAPTER FORTY

THE FAERY REDE

I stopped myself from gathering her up, she looked so frail! More delicate than a hothouse flower, more fragile than a snowflake, and more beautiful than a young star in a nursery nebula Tyllae contented herself with nuzzling my outstretched finger as I sank down on the bed and sagged against Sunny who joined me.

“Sunny! …You’re a genius!” I breathed shakily. “The way they were talking it seemed like… like….”

Sunny leaned her head on my shoulder and reached out to caress the elfin head. “Well I’ll admit that maybe we bought the wee lass a few minutes but, in th’ end, it was her doin’. Wasn’t it, ye wee spriggan?” She tickled Tyllae’s neck who nodded with only a fraction of her usual manic energy. She made a motion with a tiny hoof for Sunny to continue before shutting her eyes to better concentrate on enjoying our joint ministrations.

“She was delirious by th’ time I got t’ Sickbay n’ fadin’ fast.” Sunny spoke quietly so as not to disturb her Dearest Patient. “I got her on Bio-Bed n’ watched as her readins’ just kept sliding down. Doctor Willowbark was reportin’ that he had to answer a priority call r’ somesich. Poor Dazzle came to ‘bout then n’ started ravin’! I hit her wi’ another tranquilization spell so fast it made her spin. Aye, I was understandably preoccupied n’ told him t’ take a flyin’ buck at a bloody rollin’ cupcake or summat. I wasna on me best behavior by any account… I’ll have t’ ‘pologize t’ laddie for that!” Something in the way she chuckled suggested to me that that wasn’t going to happen. In her Sickbay Sunny Doesn’t Explain Anything.

“Th’ diagnostic computer was a-tellin’ us Tyllae was dyin’ o’ some sort o’ poisoning as well as a severe allergic reaction. Trouble was there was no poison or allergen in her system th’ bloody machine could recognize from its bloody database! I dinna mind tellin’ ye I was morena wee bit frantic! She was slippin’ away as I watched. I dragooned a couple o’ Unicorns and we concentrated on multiple spells t’ clean her blood and vitalize her system. Th’ gross physical injury was practically healed by then, though th’ scarrin’ persisted despite all we did throughout th’ entire wound. I finally had a brainwave then! Th’ old tales, ye ken, tell us that iron ‘tis deadly t’ Wee Folk, burns ‘em like refined plutonium n’ toxic as strontium-90 to boot. Wi’ naught else t’ do, I had th’ three o’ us hit her wi’ every antiradiation spell n’ therapy we had. We gave her healin’ as well, enough t’ mend a battalion o’ shot-up Manticores! She soaked it all up like a bloody Magic sponge. Th’ readins slowed n’ finally, fer one brief second, stopped. We couldna keep it up, o’ course. Th’ second we had t’ recharge a spell r’ break out another potion we’d lose th’ edge n’ she’d slide again. But the wee thing had no more room t’ slide, ye ken!” She paused a moment to tuck the little Fey in tenderly. Tyllae nuzzled her finger then, looking a little more alert, reached to take a mouthful of brownie. Just like a foal having a snack during Story Time!

“Aye, we stabilized her fer th’ grand total o’ three seconds. But it was enough fer her, wasn’t it, lassie?” She nudged the brownie closer, urging her to eat. “I dinna ken if it were reflex r’ if she retained just enough consciousness t’ make choice. Whatever it was I’m glad she did it. We couldn’t last, I was seein’ black patches across me vision by then and Doctors Balm n’ Chamomile weren’t in much better shape. We none of us were gonna stop while we could still stand n’ th’ Nurse wi th’ potions was hookin’ a cart full o’ potions wi’ his hoof so he could keep ‘em comin’ wi no interruption, bless his heart! Still, th’ Moment o’ Truth was upon us all. I was actually reachin’ for a hypo o’ cordrazine… ye ken, th’ new hyperstimulant? Wicked stuff, t’ be sure, but I was gonna stick all o’ us wi’ it if it could give us any more time! Tyllae saved us th’ trouble, though! She went t’ Other Side right then n’ there!”

She carefully scratched the little Fey between the antennae as she continued.

“Like so much o’ what she does in that state, ‘twas beautiful n’ a mickle bit terrifyin’! One second she’s a pitiful wee thing glowing wi’ multiple spells like a magical Hearthswarming ornament, th’ next we’re all staggerin’ as we’re shoved back n’ away from Bio-Bed by th’ full-size Tyllae suddenly lyin’ there! Balm fell flat on floor while Chamomile collided wi’ Nurse Splint. I fetched up against next bed n’ watched as not-so-wee Tyllae spread her wings n’ cried out summat in her eerie, Otherside language. I almost wish ye could’ve heard it, Starry! It was so… majestic… n’ so unspeakably sorrowful it sent shivers down all our spines, I can tell ye! The call faded away n’ so did her Other Side form. She collapsed on herself ‘til she was our wee Tyllae again. We scrambled back, summoning our last strength fer our spells, but the readins’ had stabilized. They were terrible low, but she’d saved herself wi’ her sacrifice.”

I eyed the recumbent Fey. “’Sacrifice’? What did she give up, real food?”

“Tyllae was dying, Starry.” The little Fey said softly. “Hurt so bad, hurt so much poor, poor, poor Tyllae couldn’t think straight. Tyllae just folded up little wings an’ got ready for Other Side. Very, very, very nice onna Other Side, Starry. No iron, no Discord, an’ alla Tyllae’s friends from Long Ago are there!” She laid her elfin head on my finger and looked up at me, half in a dream it seemed. “Tyllae’s Momma an’ Daddy, too! Alla waiting for Tyllae. Faeries onna Other Side know when Faery from This Side cross over for Last Time, thassa parta Magic of Other Side, yep, yep, yep!” Tyllae stopped to yawn a huge, Faery yawn and shook her head a few times to clear it up, her antennae jangling.

“Just when Tyllae bouta cross over, Tyllae stopped! Tyllae was all confoozeld atta time but Tyllae thinks that was when Sunny anna other Dokkers stopped Tyllae from dying for a little bit. Tyllae was all tired an’ hurt and wanna go Other Side anna rest an’ wake up on Other Side with all Faeries Tyllae missed but Tyllae’s Momma stood right inna threshold an’ wouldn’t let Tyllae through, nope, nope, nope! ‘Tyllae!’ Momma said. ‘Where think going? Tyllae is Last Faery onna This Side. What happens to Tyllae’s friends if Tyllae Goes Away? Faeries help! How Tyllae gonna help if Tyllae goes to Other Side?’ Momma not being mean, Tyllae knows Momma always loves Tyllae! Tyllae told Momma alla bout how bad Discord got an how This Side is without nice, nice, nice Celestia an Luna. Tyllae told Momma how Tyllae was too hurt an sick to stay onna This Side. Momma gave Tyllae a hug. Momma unnerstan how much poor, little Tyllae hurt an how bad little Tyllae felt but Momma said Tyllae must be very, very, very brave. Momma knew poor Tyllae was dying on This Side but Momma also very, very, very wise an said Tyllae must stay onna This Side. Momma knew it hurt really, really, really bad an was very, very, very sorry but Tyllae just hada stay This Side!

Poor Tyllae was all confoozeld! Iron kills Faeries an no Faery who got stuck like poor Tyllae ever, ever, ever got better! Nope, nope, nope! Always end up on Other Side every time!

But Momma said there was a way but Tyllae would have to make a big, big, big choice; a very, very, very important choice that only Tyllae could make. Momma said it possible to Tyllae to stay onna This Side only if Tyllae give up Other Side forever an ever an ever. Faeries live in two worlds at same time, Starry. All Faeries starta out onna This Side but end up onna Other Side when die here. Until Faeries die Faeries can move from one Side to another. Safer on Other Side… but This Side is Home.

If brave Tyllae gives up Other Side the life Tyllae would have there Tyllae can have here. But Tyllae can never, never, never go back to Other Side. Tyllae never see Momma an Daddy or Tyllaes’ old friends ever again. Never getta play in Magic Gardens an hear the pretty, pretty, pretty wind that blows through the Stars no more, nope, nope, nope. No Faery could make Tyllae do this, Faeries are Free, Starry! No Faery ever, ever, ever choose to stay when life on This Side was over.

But Momma said it was very, very, very important that Tyllae stay here but, as wise as Momma is, Momma did not know why. Faeries very, very, very old but not even Faeries know everything all at once. Faeries do know that Faeries goofed long, long, long ago an everyone on This Side suffered for it. Remember alla Trees, Starry! Faeries tried to fix but the World Changed before Faeries could make it right. Faeries died an went to Other Side before Wild Magic Faeries bring could be made safe. Faeries think that Tyllae can fix even though Faeries not sure how.

Alla Faeries asked, even Tytanya the Faerie Queen asked if Tyllae would stay! Yep, yep, yep! But Tytanya never give order, no Faery would ask another Faery to forsake the Faery Realm, nope, nope, nope! No Faery would blame Tyllae is Tyllae did not. Faeries could stay all together onna Other Side for ever an ever an ever an be happy.
…But Faeries said they would help Pony Tree. Faeries promised! How could The Last Faery just flit away to play forever while Friends were in trouble on This Side, Starry? After all this time, alla those lives… one Tree should survive to show Faeries not all the way stoopid. Faeries mean well, Faeries really did. If Tyllae gotta die an be gone forever then that not so much to ask, is it?

Tyllae was real, real, real scaredy-scared. Tyllae is not brave, nope, nope, nope! But Tyllae always tried to be a Good Faery an do right things an if Momma thought it was a good thing how could Tyllae say no? Tyllae tried to be brave but Tyllae cried alla same when Tyllae said yes. Alla Faeries onna Other Side cried, too cause alla Faeries missed Tyllae. Tyllae felt very, very, very sad an thought Tyllae would never be happy again even if Tyllae got to stay with Starry an Sunny an Her-mees Tribe… then Tyllae saw little Dendi onna Other Side.

Tyllae told Sunny an Starry bouta little Dendi! Dendi was Tyllae’s little baby an the most bee-yoo-tee-ful thing onna This Side. Dendi cried like alla other Faeries but Dendi also said how proud Dendi was that Dendi’s Momma was so brave to go back an make everything Good for the Big Ponies.

Then Tyllae had a scary, scary, scary thought! If Discord not stopped how long until Magic Prism talk Discord into going to Other Side to eat up alla Faeries to make Magic Prism bigger? Tyllae gotta make Dendi, Momma, alla Tyllae’s friends safe, Starry, on both Sides! Tyllae just gotta!

Tyllae begged Faeries to tell Tyllae how cause Tyllae was fresh outa ideas how to do it, yep, yep, yep! But is hard to see This Side froma Other Side, even harder to see how Prism thinks. Prism does not think like Ponies or Faeries. Magic Prism does not feel an only does what Prism is told to do, act like Prism is told to act. Prism is unfree an yet Prism is not a slave. Faeries think Prism gonna eat up Discord an replace with a twisted thing that thinks is Discord, more powerful an less feeling than Discord ever was! Poor Discord too messed up inna coco to know whahappening! Discord gotta be made to see, Starry! Faeries say that if save Discord, save everybody on both Sides… but how to do?

But alla Faeries shakea heads, too hard to know. All Faeries could say was the Discord must not be killed. Kill Discord an whahappen with Prism? Does Prism run away to do what Prism wants or does someone else less able to control take Prism? Bad, bad, bad either way!

Tyllae was still all scaredy but Tyllae was getting all mad, too! How Tyllae s’posed to find a way to save Discord an destroy Prism alla by Tyllae’s self? Tyllae said thatta bunch of stinky-bugs that Tyllae was gonna give up Other Side forever for nothing! That not fair an Tyllae said so right to Queen Tytanya, yep, yep, yep! Tyllae was all tough like Starry-Eyes an Tyllae thinks Tyllae scared alla other Faeries a little bit. Tyllae was sorry but Tyllae was running outa time. Whatever Sunny an Dokker Ponies did was running out an Tyllae had to know right now!

Faeries put alla heads together an tried real, real, real hard an makea big, big, big Magic. Alla us lissend really, really, really hard to Wind That Blows Through The Stars. Star-Wind oldest thing ever and Faeries followed the Song of the Star-Wind to Other Side inna first place. Star-Wind sings songs ‘bout everything that happen everywhere an everywhen but not even Faeries unnerstan what Star-Wind sing about alla time. Tyllae thinks Tyllae lissened hardest cause Tyllae needed to know the most. It almost tooka too longa time, yep, yep, yep! Just when poor, brave Tyllae begana dying again Tyllae thinks Tyllae heard sumpin inna Song! Tyllae hugged Momma an kissed little Dendi one last time an Came Back with alla Faeries crying an saying ‘Bye-Bye’ to poor, poor, poor Tyllae.” The little tyke blinked wearily and laid her head back down on my pillow. The effort of telling the tale had clearly cost her but she didn’t want to rest until she told us both, bless her little heart!

Tyllae stretched where she lay, her wings unfurling and shaking just a little before furling close again. “Tyllae gotta sleep now. Tyllae is sooper, sooper, sooper-duper pooped an Tyllae still hurts a little.” She raised her head to look at both of us solemnly. “Tyllae is less than Tyllae was but Tyllae issa still here an Tyllae still wanna help alla Ponies.” Her little head drooped a little and those tiny black eyes grew even brighter than usual. “…An Tyllae is feeling lonely an scared. Tyllae loves Starry an Sunny an wants to be with for alla time Tyllae has left but mosta everyone Tyllae knew an loved is onna Other Side an Tyllae will never, never, never ever see again. Tyllae hopes Tyllae does good an keepa all safe. That why Tyllae made Tyllae’s big, big, big choice… but Tyllae so sad, Starry! Tyllae hada die once an Tyllae not happy bout having to die again, this time forever!” She sniffled, crushed for a moment by the weight of her decision. But the plucky Fey bucked herself up a moment later, trying so hard to be brave that we both reached out to cup her in our hooves.
“Tyllae is not sorry, Starry! Not sorry one little bit, Sunny!” She looked at us in turn. “But Tyllae has had the worst day in Tyllae’s life so far an Tyllae just feels so mizzerble that Tyllae jussa needs to cry for a while. Keep Tyllae close! Please, please, please? Tyllae does not wanna be alone any more, nuh-uh!” She sniffled again, her composure finally faltering. “T-Tyllae m-m-must be one b-b-bad Faery! N-not fair! No, no no! Whyfor gotta pick on poor, p-p-poor T-Tyllae all timeee…!”

I thought she was bad before, that night she came to us with the memory of Nightmare Moon fresh in her mind. Now she was beyond mere hysterics. Her body shook; she writhed and moaned mostly, though here and there we could pick out a word. After that first moment of weakness she never wept for herself again. Her grief was for her little daughter, her Mother, her relations, the lost friends of her fillyhood, even the crew of the Cimarron as well as ‘poor Stimmy-bolt’. She wept for Discord, too and I felt ashamed that I could not share her nobility. Just then, with a grief-stricken Faery cradled between us, I wanted to beat two tears out of his chimerical hide for every one shed by this innocent little tyke with his bloody Prism… right before I skewered him with it! But even I had to admit… reluctantly… that Tyllae had the right of it. Discord was no longer his own master. Whether he’d handed his soul to the Prism or it took it I do not know but I was at least fairly certain that, if here were in his right mind… assuming he ever had one… not even he would countenance what had been done. Don’t get me wrong! I’ll never forgive him for what he did to Stimbolt, Dazzle, or Tyllae… let alone the uncounted ponies and other people who suffered for the sake of his grief and loneliness. If the Pony race could pull itself up out of the ashes of the Eugenics Wars, survive the Romulans and still go on to build the Federation why couldn’t he? Celestia and Luna held themselves accountable for their actions, why not Discord?

I considered the wretched little Fey cupped in my hoof, her hot tears coating my fingers. I raised her to my lips and kissed the top of her shuddering head. “You’re not a bad Faery, Tyllae. You’re the best one of us on This Side. The Very Best!”

Sunny drew my hoof down and added a tender kiss of her own. “Aye, we love ye, ye wee scamp! Ye have yerself a good cry now, we’re here n’ we’ll never leave ye. I dinna ken th’ Other Side but I canna help but t’ think Celestia n’ Luna both would save ye a place wi’ them in th’ end. Ye can spend yer Eternity wi’ us Ponies n’ teach yer Star-Songs t’ us if ye’d like.” I kept my mouth shut. Metaphysics is not something we Equestrins put a lot of stock in. We believe in the Conservation of Energy and the rest of the laws of Thermodynamics. Everypony is an individual and once they’re gone they’re gone. Life is good so work hard and do good and enjoy what you can before the end, that’s just part of the Equestrin Way. Still…

Until a very short time ago I would have thought that anything else was just a quaint superstition that ponies afraid of death comforted themselves with. But now, assuming that Discord’s memory was true, I’d seen Celestia and Luna. If they were real then maybe the afterlife is, too. We of Equestris made our choices long ago in those regards with no regrets. If it turns out we were wrong that’s our fault but Tyllae was another matter entirely. Faeries aren’t Ponies, but they helped Ponies come into existence and that’s got to count for something, doesn’t it? For the sake of what she had given up and the reason she gave it up for I liked to think that the Goddesses could make enough room in the hereafter for such as she. I could walk into oblivion with head held high knowing that Tyllae would rest cuddled under Luna’s wing under the benevolent eyes of her Elder Sister…

Sunny touched my arm and jarred me out of my reverie.

“Come along, then!” She said softly. “’Tis late n’, as has been observed, ‘tis been a long n’ terrible day. Let’s get what rest we can.” She reached back and began to unfasten her uniform. She paused and quirked a suspicious eyebrow at me.

“How serious are ye ‘bout those pajamas…?”

“I don’t think it’ll be an issue tonight.” I summoned up a weak smile. “Even in my original state I’d be hard pressed to be in the mood… given what’s happened.”

“Aye, me own sense o’ adventure’s about at its lowest ebb just now t’ be sure!” Sunny agreed. Soon boots, blouse, stockings and bra littered the deck as she made for the bathroom wearing only her brief panties. My eyes wandered over to the calendar on our terminal. Great. On top of everything else Sunny was beginning her estrus cycle! For the next several days it was going to be that much more difficult being in such close proximity to her, being a male an all. All I could do was put my faith in twenty-third century feminine hygiene products and hope for the best. I stuck another pin in my mental Discord voodoo doll… no, not a pin, a crystal shard… and concentrated on the sobbing Faery I held close until she returned and took her off my hands.

I undressed and recycled my clothing before I fished my customary sleepwear… from when I used to wear it… out of the closet. A faded, green ‘Loderunners’ jersey from my days playing spatball in the Company Leagues back on Equestris. It came down over my butt and I kept my boxers on as I slid self-consciously into bed. Sunny deposited the sobbing Tyllae on my chest and drew the covers up and I dimmed the lights and the three of us lay there, not sleeping. Every time I shut my eyes I saw the after-image of the phased-balefire shot that killed Stimbolt and with them opened I couldn’t concentrate on anything but the horrible grief in Tyllaes’ sobs. My personal problems were pretty small apples by comparison so I lay there feeling miserable. I wanted to put an arm around Sunny and hug her but I thought that might be pushing things at this point. I contented myself with easing a hoof up to stroke the sobbing Fey.

Sunny’s hoof crept up, feeling around blindly across my chest until she closed in on Tyllae’s location. I kept stock still, though her touch made me jump within my skin. Our fingers interlaced and we cuddled the little Fey in our hooves. Sometime after midnight she finally drifted off into sleep. I lay awake, unable to sleep and afraid to wake Sunny to talk.
She squirmed and made disgruntled, grumbling noises. Eventually she wriggled around and tugged my free arm out from under my head. She draped it over her and laid her head down on my shoulder with a quiet sigh, quite possibly the most beautiful sound I ever heard.

It was just possible, I decided at that moment, that Everything Would Be All Right, after all...

Comments

[meerkat8472]

Poor Tyllae, what a sacrifice. She really is the best of all Faery kind.

[Alicorne]

3178415 You have to feel for the little Tyke! But what comes good that comes cheaply?

[meerkat8472]

3178477 Oh I'm sure I could think of a few things that're cheap and good, but I know what you mean. It's a shame Tyllae is less than she was, I was hoping she'd be able to turn Starry back into a mare, I guess that won't be possible now. I wonder if she'll have enough powe left to undo her earlier spell so Starry can see clocks again, seriously that must be annoying.

[Darth Wedgius]

Tyllae very brave, yep yep!

I'm curious as to if "Loderunners" was a reference to the video game very nearly of that name?

[Alicorne]

3179086 I admit that I've heard that name somewhere but i didn't know it was a video game. It just seemed appropriate for our favorite Equestrin.

...I would have thought that somepony would've been curious about 'spatball'....

[Alicorne]

3178592 Actually I took it as a granted that she'd already undone that. It was an easy enough spell to begin with and would have been easy enough to undo... as long as nopony called Tyllae a pixie again!

[Darth Wedgius]

3179969
I was curious about "spatball," but afraid to ask.

[Alicorne]

3182146 Think of it as a cross between dodgem cars and blood-ball. There is one goal, a bucket on the far wall. The ball is tossed between the two teams facing off on the opposite end of the playing area. They struggle for possession... that's part of the 'spat' in spatball... and strive to put the ball in the bucket for a point. Whichever team does it gets the point. No blows or holds may be administered by hooves or arms and kicking is right out... though body-blocking and tripping is allowed. First one to 10 points wins! Yee-haw!: