Path of The Stars: Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4


Day 108

“So… what is this thing?”
>Rows and rows of pipes, chambers and who knows what covered most of the area of the engine room.
>For you it was just a chaotic mess of twisting metal and chemical reactions, the end result for some reason being the propulsion of the giant vessel which kept you safe from the deadly void of space.
>The one thing you did recognize, the centerpiece of this magnificent and infinitely complex machine, was its physics-defying Gravity Core, though you couldn’t say you knew how it worked exactly.
>It stood tall and proud on a thick steel pillar in the middle of the room, humming with a low frequency which felt pleasing on your eardrums.
>Inside a glass chamber sat a smooth iron orb which seemed to twist and bend space around it as it vibrated with immense energy.
>Your head started hurting when you looked at it, as you felt your pupils stretch and contract far beyond what was meant for a normal person, so you quickly turned away to a more comfortable sight.
>Inside a tight corridor about the height of your knees sat the gifted engineer on all fours facing away from you.
>Her hands were busy gripping the shaft of an oversized wrench as she tried to force a bolt to rotate.
>You were too busy being enthralled by all the ripples in her denim-covered behind as the metal piece suddenly gave in to the brutal force applied to it for a short moment before getting stuck again.
>Applejack, who now had nothing to resist the weight she put on the wrench, promptly crashed forward, and as the torque came to a sudden standstill, her elaborately put together ponytail whipped forward into her face.
>She took a break, wiped her forehead with a greasy forearm and sighed before looking over her shoulder.
>”S’quite simple actually.” she finally addressed your question as she struck her head on a pole.
>The metallic sound reverberated across the complex, but she didn’t seem to mind and happily kept talking.
>”The FRNDSHP-A Drive, or Fast Rotatin’ Nano Distributed Super Hadron Particle-Accelerator.”
>You stood there like one big question mark, but she didn’t seem to notice as she kept going.
>“It’s an improvement on the aged Alcubierre drive concept. HQ spent a ton o’ cash makin’ this baby a reality…”
>Applejack trailed off as she noticed you staring into a wall, your brain going into overdrive.
>You took a second, making an attempt to soak it in, but to no avail.
“What?”
>Applejack eyed you with a look of disappointment before struggling her way out of the maintenance shaft.
>Her ample bottom wiggled enticingly as you tried your best to hide your stare.
>She managed to crawl out of the blazing chamber after a while and sat down on a nearby outcropping to rest, laying her huge wrench beside her.
>”The drive uses cuttin’ edge tech to compress space-time in front of the ship and expand it behind us, pushin’ us forward beyond realistic velocities!” Applejack uttered in excitement and waving her hands in all kinds of illustrating manners.
>You hadn’t really seen her talk about advanced physics like this before, so it caught you off guard.
>At high school she always were your average southern belle, not caring much for anything unrelated to agriculture or things that didn’t concern her friends or family.
>Although it was that time she joined a band, but nobody seems to talk about that for some reason.
>”We’re essentially breakin’ the laws of physics with this here sumbitch!”
>You scratched your stubble for a second.
“Yeah, I still don’t think I get how it works…”
>Applejack waved her hand at you dismissively before turning back towards the seemingly endless shaft leading deep into the heart of the machine.
>”Ya didn’t exactly build a portable particle collider in yer garage either, Anon.” She mocked you as she crawled back into the tight space. “Males ya wonder how ya got into the academy in the first place.”

“Did you… need anything from me?” you sighed, slightly annoyed by her attitude.
>You also completely forgot what you were doing there in the first place, but it all came back to you when you noticed Applejack was just sitting there on her knees, staring longingly into the distance.
>You squatted down in front of the hole, trying your best to endure the heat.
“Hey…” you said, and paused a bit when Applejack turned towards you, not with a smile this time. “You all right in there?”
>You could almost physically feel the emotional tone shift in the air, and Applejack scooched closer to you and leaned against the pipes.
>”It’s not that I regret leaving, Anon, I don’t want y’all to think that.” She started, resting her arm on her knee with the wrench hanging loosely in her hand. “It all just happened so quickly, none of us really had any time to prepare.”
>You remembered how much she cared about her family, and would always be excited for the next annual reunion.
“Is this about Applebloom?” You asked, embarrassed that you barely even remembered her name.
>Most things you knew about her family had passed into oblivion.
>You do remember spending long summers with your friends in the fields, relaxing under a blazing hot sun.
>Her grandmother would make a wide assortment of apple-based treats for you all and you’d sit in the shadows of the giant apple trees and chat or just relax.
>”I just kinda left them all behind to go on this crazy adventure.” The engineer said, breaking your trip down memory lane.
>”Applebloom and Granny Smith… T’was the middle of harvestin’ season too. ‘It’s all right’ they said. ‘Follow yer dreams, don’t take life fer granted!’”

>You crawled into the shaft and leaned against the wall opposite of Applejack.
>She gave you a weak smile, fond memories of her cherished family flooding back to her.
>”Big Mac had just gone off to the big city too when NESA came knockin’ on our doors. Told me he followed some pink-haired sweetheart.”
“You’re worried you left them behind when they needed you the most?” You asked the engineer, attempting to sort out how she felt.
>She didn’t reply, but stared into a wall in silence.
“Seems like you have some regrets after all.”
>She was holding the wrench between her index and thumb, swinging it back and forth restlessly.
>”I mean lil sis just turned 20, so I’m sure she can handle herself, but we’re talking over a hundred acres o’ trees here…” she finally said after a short pause.
“But they wanted you to pursue your own career, right?”
>”That’s just something people say, Anon…”
>You both sat there for a while in silence, listening to the humming of the machine.
>You watched Applejack's face and could tell she enjoyed being surrounded by metal and moving parts.
>”You remember the old barn we had back at the farm.” She finally said, breaking the silence. “One day dad brought home an ancient tractor and parked it in there before the engine died. Couldn’t get ‘er rollin’ so it just sat there.”
>Applejack smiled as she remembered.
>”Once mom and dad were… gone, I decided to fix ‘er up. Took me six months to get ‘er running again. That’s how I decided what I wanted to do, masterin’ that old machine. Took the agency ten more years after that to get me on the program.” She slowly glanced over and locked eyes with you, her head resting against the warm metal behind her. “So here I am, Anon. Left my sis and gran behind to go on crazy adventures in space.”
>Not really knowing the right thing to say, you both sat there in silence again.
>It took the engineer a couple of minutes before she started moving again.
>”I better get back to work, Anon. This place ain’t gonna maintain itself.”
>She slapped you lightly on the knee on her way up before crawling back to the pipe she was working on.
>You got up and struggled out of the shaft as well, but on your way out you turned around one last time.
“We’re all here if you need to talk some more you know.” You said in a last ditch effort to cheer her up, or at least feel appreciated.
>When you didn’t hear a response, you turned around and made your way up some stairs towards the exit.
>The bridge was your next stop.


Day -6517 (Day 157 of the year 2018)

>The sound of millions of crickets chirping across the small town did nothing but accentuate the blazing temperature that warm summer day.
>The sun loomed high in the sky, vaporizing any shadow that dared step into its gaze, and cooked the pitch black asphalt almost to its boiling point.
>All across the schoolyard you would see girls dressed in skimpy clothing and boys using the weather as an excuse to show off.
>Even some of the teachers wore some slightly revealing clothing.
>You had no reason to complain.
>Watching people scurry past underneath you like ants was amusing, wondering who they were, where they were going, how they reached this point in their lives…
>A chill breeze gently washed over your face, as your vantage point up on the school's roof gave you more benefits than just the amazing view.
>From up there you could see all the way to the docks, a thousand brightly colored roofs sticking up from the concrete jungle, trying its best to stand out from the crowd.
>The seas glittered like teal crystals, bouncing light away from it with every bob and weave, and white sails crowded the waves, like a perfect replica of the sky above it.
>You closed your eyes, just content to sit there and listen to the multitude of sounds around you.

>”You’re gonna miss class again you know…” a bright voice spoke behind you.
>From your spot at the edge of the building all you could do was turn your head halfway around.
>In the corner of your eye you could see a fountain of deep purple hair flow down the person’s back.
>Instantly recognizable.
“Oh, It’s just you.” you answered Twilight, turning back around to gaze across the horizon. “What about you, miss Encyclopedia?”
>”I think you just answered your own question there.” she said in a snarky tone, dangling her feet over the edge next to you. “Figured I’d find you here. Not many other places you go when ignoring your responsibilities. You’re getting predictable.
”I’m comfortable in my own company. Don’t like to socialize.”
>”I know, you’re introverted, gain energy from yourself instead of others. Keep a small amount of close friends instead of many acquaintances…”
>The girl trailed off when she noticed you looking back at her, frowning.
“Don’t analyze me.” you ordered her. “It freaks me out.”
>”Don’t wanna know yourself better, Anon?”
“Just don’t.”

>A few moments of silence pass by, the winds once again gracing you with its cool touch and calming down the aggressive heat.
>It wasn’t an awkward silence, however.
>You had known each other for probably over three years now.
>Ever since you were grouped up with her and her little circle of buddies on that science project and chords were struck across the board.
>You never thought you’d come to enjoy the presence of other people that much, let alone the six of them.
>Looking over at Twilight smirking at her own smart-ass comments while enjoying the cold breeze made you sentimental, and memories of your time at the academy flooded to you.
“Just a few more weeks, huh?” you said, ending the comfortable stillness.
>Those words seemed to perk up Twilight considerably, as if you woke her from a deep dream.
>”Oh, I almost forgot!” she said, breaking her thousand yard stare and turning towards you. “We’re all meeting up at AJ’s farm next week to celebrate. You’re coming, right?”
“Of course I am, do you take me for some shut-in or something?”
>Twilight clapped her hands together and grinned so much her eyes closed together.
>You always loved seeing your friends cheerful.
>Even if you weren’t very expressive yourself, a smile from someone you knew always brightened up your day.
>”Great!” Twilight cheered, jumping down to the safety of the roof and dusting off her skirt, making sure it was properly in place.
>”Anyway, you should probably hurry to your lecture. I’ll see you at lunch!”
>Twilight turned on her heels and headed back towards the roof access.
>Your eyes followed her for a little while before you turned your attention back to the view.
>Of course, you had already read every book in your syllabus three times over, not that you didn’t know most of it already.
>This was just a formality to get you into the prestigious Equestrian Astronautical School of Science.
>You were basically waiting for their letter of admission at this point.
>You were sure a few more skipped classes wouldn’t be the end of you.


Day 108

>The thick steel-plated doors parted ways to reveal the bridge command center floor, and the slipstream generated by the Excalibur beyond that.
>It was a tunnel of light, seemingly endless and whizzing past you at impossible speeds.
>The power of spatial compression also brought with it the distortion of sight, and you could feel it as your eyes started to hurt slightly.
>You continued through the portal and heard the familiar hiss as the doors closed behind you.
>Setting down your mug with coffee you picked up on your way up, you slouched down in the captain’s chair and sighed.
>Finally a moment's peace without anything breaking or going wrong otherwise.
>Those moments seemed few and far between these days.

>From your position in the chair you could see all of the ship's stations lined up next to each other.
>The bridge consisted of two floors.
>The top deck hosted your panel, with monitors connected to most of Excalibur’s systems.
>On each side of your island ran two stairs down to the lower bridge floor, where a crescent-shaped table ran from one end to the other, each station separated by slim gaps between them.
>All three of them were outfitted with special equipment and systems they would need to do their jobs.
>From left to right were the navigation and course console, weapons systems, which you thankfully had yet to find a use for, and propulsion and machinery control.
>At the very front sat the helm, a glorified steering wheel for manual control over the vessel.
>Right below you were two seats with access to every external scanner array and Excalibur’s science computers and compendium.
>It was a pretty impressive lineup, like a dream created by stacks of sci-fi books and a whole lot of steel.

>You waved your hand across the control panel in front of you and watched as several windows popped into existence above the board.
>A bright sphere was also born from the motion, rotating calmly around itself in front of you.
>Your next destination had basically been picked at random, as HQ had been quiet for weeks now.
>You still hadn’t gotten an answer regarding the report on your lack of food, which was already resolved.
>Maybe you had just traveled too deep into the unknown for signals to reach its destination fast enough.
>Protocol was clear, so technically you didn’t need instructions, but it’d be nice to not feel so neglected.
>”Anon.” Twilight's voice buzzed through your comm.
>”You really need to come see this.”

“What’s going on?” you asked as you came rushing through the labs doors.
>Twilight stood in one end with a bunch of wires hooked up to the rock she had thrusting out of her chest.
>On the other end were Fluttershy, bent over a vast array of holographic windows floating above a desk.
>The pink-haired woman waved you over, and as you rounded the desk, you could see they were all different analytics of the crystal.
“Okay, what am I looking at here?”
>Twilight seemed to eagerly move towards the desk, but Fluttershy was quick to intercept her.
>”We talked about this, Twilight!” she said, managing to somehow nearly whisper and yell at the same time.
>”Right.” the other scientist said, making her way back to her previous position. “No moving.”
>”This is hard enough as it is with the whole ship in motion.”
“Alright, theories, great, but I still don’t get what this is about.”
>”Basically, we believe the stone is transmitting some sort of signal.”
>You raised an eyebrow, but the slight insanity intrigued you.
”Go on…”
>”We don’t know how, but there's clearly some sort of pattern to the light and static radiation emitting from it. I’m not able to isolate and translate it though.”
“We aren’t being tracked, are we?”
>Your nervous thought only garnered patronizing looks from the two scientists, and you immediately felt slightly dumber.
>”With the amount of wireless equipment on this ship, anyone would be able to track us easily enough as is.” Fluttershy said, and immediately turned back to her monitors.
>”No, I believe it’s attempting to relay Information to any nearby receivers.”
>”That might explain the sudden malfunctioning navigation systems, dear.”
>The new addition to the conversation made everyone perk up towards the source.
>Through the lab doors strode Rarity in her usual graceful manner, her arms wrapped around a tablet which displayed some twitching, flickering graphs tainted by a lot of white noise.
>”I’m not getting any readings from our computers, just a lot of interference. I thought maybe you had some answers and here we are.”
>Fluttershy looked at Rarity’s tablet, then back at her own data.
>She seemed deep in thought, her eyes darting around.
>”Maybe if…” Twilight started, slowly making her way towards the table, only to be halted by her fellow scientist once more.
>”Please, don’t move!”
>”At least let me look at the data!”
>”She does have a knack for translating the incomprehensible.” Rarity chimed in. “Wonder what that’s all about, don’t you darling?”
>Fluttershy seemed to snap out of her train of thought, and with a reluctant flick of her wrist, sent the holographic images flying towards Twilight.
>”I won’t make much sense of this on my own at least…”

>A few moments went by as the scientists discussed the various forms and graphs.
>For the most part it was a lot of big words and terms you hadn’t been trained to understand.
>Not wanting to interrupt the heated conversation, you quietly withdrew from the lab together with Rarity, leaving the scientists locked in discussion.
>On the way back to the bridge, you decided to break the silence.
“What did you mean by Twilight ‘translating the incomprehensible’ anyway?”
>”What, you mean you haven’t noticed?” she answered almost immediately. “Don’t you remember back on Klepra 3b, how she somehow managed to translate all those texts in just a few days?”
>You hadn’t really thought of it that much, as other things about the incident stuck with you more.
>After giving you some time to think, Rarity kept going.
>”I’m just saying, if you had nothing to do with this, there's something we aren’t being told.”
>Racking your brain about it, you almost didn’t notice her taking a sharp turn and making her way down an adjacent corridor.
>You stopped to observe the navigation specialist weave her way down the long hallway, turning her head halfway around and looking you in the eyes.
>”I’m completely fine being kept in the dark, it’s not my job to question it. But what about you?”
>Before you could think of an answer, she was gone around another corner, whipping her curly and perfectly kept hair around her back just before disappearing.
>As if you didn’t have enough to think about already, now even more questions had been planted in your head.
>She made some fair points though, you thought as you continued on your way back to the bridge.


Day -6508 (Day 148 of the year 2018)

“Wait, are you serious?”
>”Of course darling, why would I be joking about this?”
>You looked around the hallway in a slight daze of disbelief.
>All the other students were too busy making their way to the next class, had their nose buried in a locker or stood arched over their love interest.
>You turned back to Rarity, who kept eyeing you with that same passionate and serious look she had given you since approaching you about this a few moments ago.
>You had no reason to doubt her sincerity.
“You know I’m not exactly the most attractive person at this school, right?”
>”Well, no, but you’re my friend and I need your help. So what do you say?”
>You gritted your teeth, thinking it over.
>”I could always ask Flash Se-”
“Okay fine, I’ll do it.” you said, interrupting her. “But don’t go around telling people about this.”
>You’ll be damned if she would have to go asking that guy because you couldn’t handle it.
>Not because he’s a bad guy or anything, but the thought of him doing something like this made you more queasy than you having to do it yourself.
>Rarity nodded with a smug look on her face, and expertly turned around on her heel.
>”Thanks Anon, It’s always nice to know I can count on people like you!”
>Without looking back, she made her characteristic weaving stride down the hallway.
>You couldn’t help but think she exaggerated a bit more than usual this time, but you only rolled your eyes.
>Before rounding a corner, she whipped her meticulously styled hair over her other shoulder, looking back at you.
>”See you at six, darling!” she said before making her disappearing act once again.
>”Gee, what did you get yourself into this time?” Rainbow dash asked you behind her locker door.
“Shut up.” you barked back under your breath, not daring to think how much of that conversation she had heard.

>”Why the long face, Nonny?” Rarity teased you, sliding a needle effortlessly through the fabric she held between her fingers.
“If you ever tell anyone about this…”
>”Yeah, yeah, you’ve been making empty threats all night darling, I get it.” Rarity suddenly appeared under your arm, giving you a wide grin. “Let a girl have her fun, hm? Not always I get to dress people like you up in extravagant garment from Lady Rarity. What do you think?”
>Looking in the tall mirror ahead, you saw a strikingly beautiful violet dress with two brighter colored silk bands starting from the middle waist and arching all the way to the back where they culminated in a bow seemingly held up by magic.
>The skirt reached you to your ankles, where two plain high heeled shoes were put on matching the color of the silk bands.
>The top had two straps holding it all up, and a loose tube of a soft material covered up the chest.
>Your hair had a clip in it with a bright purple orchid in it, finishing off the look.
“I hate it.” you said bluntly.
>”Oh come now, It can’t be that bad.” Rarity pouted, but quickly went to fix up a couple of needles here and there.
>”I believe everyone should be able to enjoy a different side of themselves from time to time.”
>Rarity once again appeared from behind you, this time looking at you in the mirror while correcting the straps.
>”I think you look positively dazzling, my dear.”
>Another look brought to your attention the dedication which had been put into the makeup on your face.
>You didn’t look like yourself at all anymore, as if someone had swooped in and replaced you with a different gendered version of yourself.
>Was all this really necessary?
>”Of course it is, darling! How else would I get an idea of the finished product!”
>Did you say that out loud?
>You turned around and crossed your arms, nearly slapping the bouquet of flowers you held right in your face.
“Am I done soon? I don't want to stay in this thing for much longer.”
>”In fact…” Rarity stood up and clapped some dust off her hands. “...I think that’s all for today!”
”Thank god!”

>As you entered the room again after changing back into your normal clothing again, you saw Rarity still buzzing around the dress, measuring and adjusting restlessly.
>Despite her aloof and posh nature, you could tell she worked harder than most people in her situation.
>It was kind of therapeutic watching her do her thing.
>Before you knew it, several minutes had gone by without you moving an inch.
>You snapped out of it and moved closer to your hard working friend, careful not to startle her.
>”Thanks for helping me out tonight, dear.” she said without turning around, apparently already knowing you were there.
>She put down her box of needles and strung the measuring tape around her neck before addressing you.
>”I really do appreciate it a lot. It’s good to know we have friends like you.”
“We?” you asked, confused by her choice of words.
>”Yes, we. Twilight, Applejack, all of us. We all appreciate you.”
“Sticking me in a dress and poking at me with needles isn’t exactly what I’d call feeling appreciated…”
>”No, perhaps not…”
“But that’s what friends do, I guess, right?”
>Rarity grinned and pulled you inn in a big soft hug.
>She then grabbed you by the shoulders and looked you in the eyes.
>”And don’t you ever go forgetting that, Dear. We’re all here for you, and you’re here for us. We always stick together!”


Day 110

>You put your cup of now chilling coffee down at the desk and slouched down in your massive chair.
>You stood up for your friends, right?
>You were there when they needed you?
>It wouldn’t be characteristic of you not to.
>Staring out into the gravitational vortex dragging you through emptiness, you tried thinking back to something that would make your friends lose their trust in you.
>If Rarity was right, and some truth really was kept from you, there had to be a way to mend the wound.
>No, that wasn’t it.
>The real question was, if Rarity was correct, what kind of abilities did Twilight really have, and where did she get them?
>Your line of thought was cut short when Fluttershy and Twilight burst through the bridge doors.
>”I think we figured it out!” Twilight said trying to catch her breath.

“Okay, so let me get this straight.”
>The two girls looked away from the holographic images suspended above the table and glanced over at you with curious looks.
>You bit your cheek mulling over the facts that had been presented to you, before speaking up.
“You’re telling me that this rock transmits morse code which translates to latin words and numbers because it reads Twilight’s mind?”
>”That’s the gist of it, yeah.” Twilight said after a short pause.
“You realize how ridiculous this sounds, right?”
>Fluttershy and Twilight glanced at each other in a flash before turning back to you again.
>”With all do respect, Anon, we’ve been at this for two days mapping all the different patterns.” Fluttershy said, standing up from her leaning position and crossing her arms. “This result best lines up with our perception of reality.”
>Pinching your temple, you slouched down in a chair behind you and sighed.
“Alright, I’ll bite. Indulge me.”
>The two scientist stood there for a few moments before Twilight suddenly perked up and cleared her throat, like she just realized what you said.
>”Uhm, right, so we discovered that there were 36 unique patterns emitting from the rock, 26 letters and 10 numbers, and the most plausible translation is what you see here.”
“And you’re sure this isn’t the result only because it makes the most sense?”
>”We calculated it using every pattern to letter map possible.” Fluttershy said. “Out of all the different possibilities, this is the only one which correlates with data from our celestial database.”
>Looking at the hologram, it displayed a word and a lot of different numbers which you couldn’t recognize as anything familiar to you.
>You had never seen the word before either, and to you it just looked like a strange combination of letters.
“Scutum?” you asked out loud.
>”It means Shield in Latin.” Twilight answered, poking at it with her finger.
>The hologram reacted by pulling up different images of the night sky back home, and drew lines between four bright points.
>”It also most likely references the Scutum constellation.” Twilight continued. “All the different numbers correlates with locations of the different stars there.”
>Fluttershy proceeded to show you a list of seven main stars from the constellation, and they appeared in front of you, revolving peacefully around themselves.
>”Rarity pointed out that every location matches perfectly, but there is one major star missing.”
>An eighth star appeared, a dim red sphere which dwarfed the others, but its light couldn’t compare to its neighbors.
>You glanced over to Fluttershy and expected her to continue.
>”This is UY Scuti.” She kept going. “It’s the largest star we’ve discovered thus far, so it’s pretty strange that they kept it out of the signal.”
>”That’s when it hit me.” Twilight spoke up. “That star must be where the coordinates lead, why else would it be missing?”

>You reached up and scratched your stubble.
>No matter how you looked at it…
“...This still seems like a pretty big coincidence.”
>Even if this hypothetical translation coincided with reality from the perspective of Earth, the fact that the largest star in the galaxy was omitted left some doubt in your mind.
>This idea might very well have been constructed and forced to make sense, because if you knew anything about the human mind, you knew it would do anything to make sense of the incomprehensible.
>”That’s true, but what if it isn’t?” Twilight asked enthusiastically.
>The thought of some magical rock transmitting cryptic messages did leave you with a sense of wonder, that much you could agree on.
>Even if what the girls were telling you weren’t the truth, this incident had brought a potential scientific endeavour to your attention.
>The largest star in the galaxy would make for quite the tourist attraction.
“Screw it.” You said and sat up in your chair. “Even if you’re right, I don’t want to pass up this chance to visit something like this.”
>Twilight and Fluttershy both nodded and grinned from ear to ear.
>You dismissed the hologram which by now had turned into a jumbled mess of diagrams and informational text, and stood up.
“Ask Rarity to set course for UY Scuti. Let’s see what we can find there!”
>Your two friends celebrated silently and left the bridge in a hurry after gathering up their equipment and exchanging the usual pleasantries.
>As they disappeared, you were left to your own again, and you turned your chair around to look out into the endless tunnel.
>You always found yourself looking out into the distance whenever you were alone, like this was some sort of deep cinematic psychological study of your own head.
>Maybe in some ways it was.
>You wouldn’t really know unless you saw it from another perspective.
>But that wasn’t going to happen any time soon.
>For now you only had to brace yourself for a long journey to this Shield constellation.
>If your previous ventures were any indicator for the rest of your stay in deep space, this would be interesting indeed.


Day -6520 (Day 160 of the year 2018)

>”And then I said ‘it’s in the refrigerator!’”
>The pink-haired girl burst out laughing on the other side of the table.
>You politely chuckled, and you noticed Rainbow Dash did the same.
>Even though you didn’t find everything that came out of Pinkie's mouth hilarious, if she didn’t get a reaction from her crowd she always seemed to get mopey, so you tried your best to play along.
>Luckily, she didn’t seem to notice you faking it, and happily kept talking after she was done gasping for air.
>”Anyway, I gave it back to her, I don’t think she got too hung up about it.”
>”Pinkie?” a voice called out from behind the counter, and your friend’s eyes seemed to widen as she heard it.
>”Oh shit, I’m still on duty! I’ll catch up with you later, alright?”
>Like a pink blur, she flew out of her seat, grabbed her apron and before you knew it, Pinkie Pie had disappeared from your table.
>You turned around to take another sip of your milkshake when you noticed Rainbow Dash sighing in relief.
>She pushed her own drink aside and leaned over the table, getting as close as she could without leaving her seat.
>”Thanks for coming with me today.” She whispered. “Lately she’s been getting kinda… clingy.”
>You let go of your straw and put the glass back down on the table before leaning back in your seat and crossing your arms.
“Well, it IS the end of the semester. Everyone’s going their own way now, I don’t exactly blame her.”
>She stared down into the checkered tablecloth and sighed again.
>”I know, I know, but the air force thing isn’t exactly trivial. I’ve been working towards this my whole life.”
“I don’t think anyone’s asking you to give it all up. Just don’t distance yourself from everyone, you probably won’t see them again for some time.”
>A few moments of calming silence passed where all you could hear were the distant humming of fridges and clashing of ceramic back in the kitchen.
>The fluorescent lights illuminated the dining hall of Sugarcube Corner, and it bounced off the shimmering checkered floor, leaving behind bright spots, like windows into a mirrored world.
>The brightness of the room was only enhanced by the large windows looking out into streets soaked in darkness and the deep purple sky left behind by the sun.
>After the sudden break-in a few years ago Miss Cupcake decided to renovate the place.
>If anyone would tell you it had seen better days, there was no way you could believe it.
>In your eyes, the corner had never looked better.
>It had taken the look of a retro diner, complete with neon lights, clashing cyan and red color schemes, and even an old mechanical cash register.
>Now they served more than just pastries and sweets, as students from your school would often pop in for lunch or just to have a place to stay after classes.
>None of those were your favorite parts about the new corner though.
>You grabbed your ice-cold glass and took another sip of your fluffy beverage, watching the bright crimson cherry sink farther down towards the bottom.
“God damn,” you said after putting it back down. “That’s a pretty fuckin’ good milkshake.”
>Your reminiscence was cut short, however, when a radio on the counter a few feet away flared to life, whining and chirping as if it was an old dial-up modem.
>Amidst the white noise you could make out the voice of a man, probably a news anchor based on his tone, broadcasting a message.
>”...appears to be an unidentified rotating aircraft above sweet apple...residents to exercise caution…”
>Around the corner from the kitchen emerged Miss Cupcake, hasting over to the radio to shut it off.
>Judging from her expression, she clearly seemed bothered by what she heard, and wiped her hands on a towel she had hanging around her waist while shaking her head.
>”Those darn feds and their fear mongering.” She sighed, giving you and Rainbow Dash a warm smile before returning to her duties.
>You shook your head and turned your attention back to your drink, but what awaited you instead was Rainbow Dash’s intense look of wonder.
>”Didja hear that!?” she whispered to you as best as she could in her state.
“The broken up and obviously non-discernible message? Yeah, I think everyone did.”
>She shook her head quickly, dismissing your uninterested tone immediately.
>”No, you doof. Didn’t you hear what they said? ‘Unidentified rotating aircraft!’”
“So what.” you scoffed.
>”Last time I checked, aircrafts didn’t rotate.”
“Look.” you said, leaning over the table just like Dash was and met her halfway across. “Twilight forced me to stay for lectures for hours on end today, and I have a nice glass of some really nice milkshake I’d like to finish, so…”
>”No way.” Rainbow Dash cut you off before abruptly standing up and grabbing your hand. “I’m gonna check it out, and you’re coming with me!”
>Before you could announce your dismay with the situation, you were already standing up and sprinting out the front doors, your hand locked behind the fastest person you knew.
>This wasn’t going to be your night.

>Layers of leaves softly crackled against the forest bed as you rushed between the trunks, leaping over roots and dodging the occasional branch.
>In the corner of your eye you saw the rainbow colored blur leading you on through the dim woods.
>The night muffled and blinded you like a blanket, but Rainbow Dash seemed to know exactly where she was going, and you followed suit.
>You ran for what felt like forever before the forest grew brighter around you.
>Ahead you noticed the moon peaking over a dark cloud, illuminating a forest clearing.
>Through the trees you could see the morning haze already covering the ground, obscuring it and bending the weak nightly glow in all kinds of hypnotizing manners.
>Your friend slowed down and came to a halt at the edge of the woods, crouching down near the base of an oak while catching her breath.
>You took the opportunity to look around you in an attempt to find out where you were, and immediately you spotted the familiar sight of the Sweet Apple orchards.
>A wide and open glade separated you from the farm.
>Everything had taken on a dark blue shade, and from your position you could see the moonlight bouncing off of the apple trees, outlining them in a brilliant crescent light.
>You never went outside this late at night, so these sights were fairly new to you.
>The lack of light pollution in the area also granted you a sight which you had never seen before.
>From behind the moon, a celestial chain of stars swerved across the sky, linking one end of the horizon to the next.
>You hadn’t seen this many lights in one place before in your life, and the thought of how far away they were sent chills down your spine and made you dizzy.
>Your train of thoughts were cut short as Rainbow Dash backhanded you in your leg, granting her your attention.
>You looked down at her, and noticed she was pointing towards the orchard ahead.
>As you followed her gesture, you saw something more peculiar.
>A cloud of dust made its way across the landscape, kicking up gravel and pebbles along the edge of the farm.
>Over one of the hills, a pitch black van rose from the tall grass, rocketing through the clearing towards the mountains to the west.
>Just before it came clear of the farm, it slowed down to a full stop aggressively, and three people in white overalls hopped out of the back doors.
>Before you could blink, they were gone among the trees.
>”I think we just found our destination.” Rainbow Dash said schemingly as she rose to her feet, dusting off her bright blue hoodie.
>She waved you along as she set off on a mad dash through the fields, and you sighed to yourself as you once again followed after her.

>With complete disregard for your non-athletic condition, Rainbow Dash was already on the other side of the field as you waded through the impossibly tall lawn.
>You could barely peek over the straws, and you moved as quickly as you could without being careless.
>She just got lucky, you thought, there had to be something down there that could have tripped her over had she stepped a little to the side.
>Luckily, you made it across without plummeting into the depths of the grass jungle as well, and ran over to your friend who hid behind the nearest tree.
>Looking around the corner, you saw a bright glow coming through the forest, and many other cones of light frantically waving around, lighting up the tree crowns and along the ground.
>It was impossible to see what was happening on the other side, as the lights covered the entire woods.
>Your eyes had been so adjusted to the warm and dark night that you had to shield yourself from the fluorescent wall.
>”Well?” Rainbow Dash inquired bellow you as you came back around behind the trunk.
“Well what?” you answered back, trying to rub away the pattern which had burnt itself into your eyes.
>”Well, are you done analyzing everything? Let’s go have a look already!”
>Before you could say another word, she had already taken a firm hold around your wrist once again and dragged you out through the orchard.
>The trees had all been planted in straight lines, so melding with the shadows was fairly easy in case anyone were to be on the lookout.
>You kept hopping from tree to tree, staying low and out of the floodlights until you reached a security tape with a strange pattern on it.
>Having adjusted to the new level of illumination, you could clearly make out what looked like stylized wings embracing a triangular shape repeated along the tape.
>There were no letters or abbreviations, so whoever was behind this operation clearly wanted to stay anonymous to the public.
>”Woah!” Rainbow Dash whispered next to you, almost right into your ear.
>You both had curled up close behind an apple tree, hidden from sight from most directions.
>You looked over to her peeking over your shoulder, and saw her jaw had dropped.
>You quickly looked around the trunk as well, and it didn’t take long before you followed her example.
>Suspended in the air above the orchard hovered what looked like a shimmering metal disc, perfectly still and unresponsive to its surroundings.
>It was an organic shape, with round corners and clean, flat surfaces.
>Its body seemed to reflect light back even brighter, and its hull was glittering in all manner of different striped patterns, rapidly changing and evolving.
>Underneath was a thick ring of blue light surrounding a circle with the same surface as the rest of the outside.
>The incredible sight almost left you blind to the bustling crowd underneath the object.
>Different crates were set up along the ground with an array of different scientific equipment, and a small army of people in white hazmat suits stood around waving metal rods towards the floating object.
>Surrounding them were a few men in black kevlar suits and masks, all of them sporting rifles strapped around their chest.
>They were all wandering circles around the security tape, so it was a wonder you hadn’t been spotted yet.

>”Is that what I think it is?” Rainbow Dash exclaimed as loud as she could while still whispering.
“Haven’t you seen enough movies to know by now?” you answered, trying to keep your cool.
>”This is so cool, dude! Look at those soldiers! These people must have some resources to pull this kind of operation off.”
“I’m kind of worried. They don’t have a name, and I’ve never seen this symbol before…”
>”Pff… This shit’s all over the news. If officials have been sent here, these are probably the ones.”
>You found yourself worrying more about the people on the ground rather than what you actually came here to see.
>Rainbow Dash sighed in disappointment behind you when you didn’t pay attention to her talking, so she grabbed your head and lifted it towards the floating object.
>”Look dude…” she said, slightly annoyed. “If you’re gonna analyze stuff, analyze this for me!”
>She pointed towards the impressive looking craft, and you were immediately pulled out of your thoughts when you noticed something strange.
”Wait a minute.” you said to yourself.
>On closer inspection, what seemed like an outside hull made of a brushed metal seemed to be vibrating slightly.
>But there was something more to it than that.
“Oh shit.”
>”What? What do you see?”
“Look at the sides. The brushed patterns rapidly changing.”
>”Yeah, and what about it?”
“It’s not changing… It really is rotating!”
>”HEY! What are you doing here?!” a voice beckoned from the clearing.
>Both you and Rainbow Dash’s attention were ripped from the craft instantly, and your heart started racing.
>One of the soldiers had spotted you, and was quickly making his way over to where you sat hunched behind a tree.
>”Shit, move!” Rainbow Dash yelled, smacked you on the shoulder, and tore up the ground under her as she hightailed back through the orchard as fast as she could.
>It didn’t take long before you sprang up yourself, launching yourself up from the trunk and sprinting into the darkness.
>Whatever care you took in treading the ground before were now completely disregarded, as you dug your feet into the soft forest bed and whipping up whatever dead plant matter unlucky enough to find itself beneath you.
>Every step you took felt like a hammer against an anvil, slamming into the ground and ripping it apart just to gain some extra speed.
>You didn’t even bother looking behind you as you flew through the woods in a whirlwind of leaves and barnacles.
>This organization was unlike any you had seen before, and if you learned anything from that one miserable year at law school, you knew they could probably do anything to you and get away with it.
>You were not about to get locked up for something like this.
>As you rounded a tree, you felt something claw your arm into an iron grip, and you almost flew forward before being dragged behind it and silenced with a strong palm around your mouth.
>You wanted to scream, but your heightened senses quickly picked up on the familiar high-pitched heavy breathing behind you, so you managed to silence yourself.
>As you tried to restrict the amount of noise you made catching your breath, you could hear a dozen heavy footsteps galloping through the woods, shouting orders to each other.
>The flickering cones of light searched through the trees, attempting to lock onto anything that moved.
>So you kept still.
>For what felt like hours you stood there, your back pressed against the assuring breaths of your friend.
>Her nervous heart beating was the only thing which kept some sense of safety in you.
>Eventually, her hand slipped away from your mouth, and she removed her iron lock around your waist.
>Carefully, you both listened.
>Looking around the corners revealed the torchlights of the bloodhound soldiers had subsided, and not a sound could be heard except the warm summer breeze rustling through the treetops.
>You still didn’t feel safe, but at least you didn’t feel hunted anymore.


Day 109

>With no bottom in sight, you fell endlessly through a dark void.
>Suddenly, a soft surface appeared beneath you, and your head fell backwards as you gasped for air.
>Your back twitched as you struggled to regain balance.
>Immediately your eyes shot open and you grabbed your chair as you sat up straight, clutching your chest expecting your heart to stop any moment.
>Just your imagination, you thought as you attempted to get your bearings.
>The cozy interior of the living quarters were illuminated with in a dim glow from some unknown source.
>The pale parquet which covered the floor was nicely accentuated by the dark ebony walls encircling the room.
>On one end were large windows giving you a nice view of the starlit cosmos outside, flinging past you at impossible speeds.
>On the opposite side were eight doors, all but one containing you and your crew's personal quarters.
>You hadn’t actually set foot inside your own in months.
>Too much to think about.
>The last door lead outside to the endless corridors of the ship.
>This room was a nice change of pace in contrast to the metal gray industrial feel of Excalibur's guts.
>Not that this ship was built for comfort anyway.

>The familiar sound of gas being decompressed redirected your attention towards Rainbow Dash’s quarters as the pilot stepped out rubbing her eyes.
>She stretched an arm into the air while catching a yawn with the other, scratched her cheek and slowly looked over at you with half-closed eyes and a groggy expression.
>After standing outside and surveying the room for a few moments, she silently walked over to a couch on the other side of the table in front of you and dropped down, landing heavy amongst the soft pillows.
>Her head fell onto the backrest, staring into the roof.
>”What are you doing here?” she said after a few moments, her voice rusty after hours of inactivity.
>You realized you were sitting kind of awkwardly on the edge of your chair, like you were ready to run, so you slouched down into its comfortable embrace and sighed.
“Had a bad dream.” you answered stoically.
>Rainbow Dash forced her head upright, but didn't say anything.
>You noticed she wasn’t wearing much other than a t-shirt which seemed five times her size, hanging loose around her torso and reaching down to her knees.
>It looked more like a nightgown than a shirt, but knowing her style she probably bought it that big on purpose.
>Her hair was a jumbled mess, like someone had dropped a paint bucket on her head and she hadn’t bothered cleaning it up.
>To top off the look, her eyes were darkened to the point where she looked like a wandering ghost.
“Rough night?” you asked, only to get a scoff in response.
>”I never had any fear of heights..” she answered after a while. “...but this is somethin’ else.”
“it’s been like three months.”
>”I know right!” she exclaimed and sat upright, gesturing with her hands. “The worst part, I don’t think it’s gonna improve any time soon.”
“Yeah, I get you.” you sighed, sliding further down into your fortress of comfort.
>A few moments of relaxing silence passed by, but your condition didn’t improve much.
>You were still tired, and hadn’t slept properly in weeks.
>Somehow you couldn’t get yourself to sleep in your own chambers.
>There was still a lot to do around the ship.
>Not only that, but you could never shake the feeling something wasn’t right at all.
“Hey, Dash…” you asked into the wind.
>You got a grunt as confirmation she was still awake, so you kept going.
“Remember that incident at Sweet Apple right before we left?”
>You didn’t get an answer, but you improved your sitting position once again and saw her looking at you, so you knew you had her attention.
“Those guys, I could never figure out who they were. I never saw that symbol again anywhere.”
>”We agreed not to talk about it again, you know.”
“We’re a bajillion miles away from home, I doubt they would send people looking for us up here.”
>”Not even time-traveling space agents?”
>You gave her a dumb look, but Rainbow Dash kept the same stoic expression she had since coming out here.
“Anyway, I haven’t heard from home since we left, and I’m starting to worry…”
>”And you think these mysterious people have something to do with it?”
“I dunno, but if that thing was all over the news, and still they were the only ones on the scene, who knows what kind of an influence they have.”
>”Look dude, what would anyone have to gain from cutting ties with us? And why are you telling me all this now?”
“Well…” you said, your arms dropping limp over your knees when a vague feeling of hopelessness washed over you. “You’re one of the very limited selection of people I know who’s seen these people that I trust, and I don’t want to be lost out here without anyone taking my side if it turns out to be true.”
>You both sat there for a moment in silence.
>Finally, Rainbow Dash got up from the couch and headed towards the exit.
>”This really isn’t the right time. I’ll think about it, but right now I need some caffeine.”
>The door to the ship hissed, then hissed again, and she was gone.
>Either signals took far longer than anticipated to reach back home, or someone had been screwing with the transmissions.
>That someone could either be a force of influence back on earth…
>Or someone on board wasn’t telling the truth.


Day 116

>”No, pull that one!”
>The plug was firmly secured in its slot, and no matter how much force you applied to it, it wouldn’t budge.
>You sheepishly put your foot up against the wall and let your whole body weight hang against the plug in an effort to increase the pressure.
>Much to your surprise, the plug immediately let go, and you were blinded by an explosion of sparks and lightning rods shot out of the pegboard.
>You found yourself soaring across the floor for a few short moments before you came crashing down on your back, knocking the air out of your chest.
>In between your coughing fit, you heard Applejack’s concerned shouts coming up the stairs, and her face appeared above you, looking confused and uncertain what to do.
>With a weak grin you held up the now toasted plug and half-chuckled, half-coughed at her.
“I got it…”
>The engineer seemed to calm down a bit and you laid there catching your breath as she examined the component.
>She carefully took it in her hands and stared at it up close before tossing it over her shoulder and shrugged.
>”Busted.” she said and got up to her feet. “I reckon we’re gonna have to install a new one.”
“I’ll have you know it wasn’t easy getting that out of there.” you said mournfully while staggering to your feet.
>Applejacks lack of concern for your wellbeing wasn’t surprising to you.
>She hadn’t changed at all since you were teens, and in some way, you appreciated that.
>At least she was honest about her emotions instead of pretending to care.
>You knew that when it mattered, she would be there for you all, and not get hung up in small things like being electrocuted or choking in an alien atmosphere or burning up during re-entry.
>You laughed to yourself at the thought.
>”You alright there, Anon?” Applejack asked and turned towards you.
>”Don’t… worry about me.” You waved an arm dismissively at her while rubbing your back with the other. “What’s our next move?”
>”The plasma combustion chamber won’t stay stable without the circuitry crutch, so we’d better start restorin’ this thing right away. C’mon!”
>Like a whirlwind, she flew down the stairs and left you literally covered in burnt dust and toasted fabric.
>It didn’t take long for you to regain your bearings and head after her.
>You dreaded to think what a ‘plasma combustion chamber’ would do if it ‘destabilized’, so listening to your engineer was the smartest thing you could do right now.
>She had never failed the Excalibur before, and you doubted she’d fail her now.
>Halfway down the stairs, you noticed the engineer silently standing above a strange cylinder near the back wall.
>You sensed a dark cloud hanging over her as she stared down into the empty tank.
>This had been going on for quite a while now.
>Every solution you and Fluttershy had attempted to cheer her up had ultimately failed.
>The only thing which seemed to work was keeping her mind busy with working, but she hadn’t taken a break in days.
>Not only her, but you had noticed the same symptoms on some of your other friends as well.
>No contact with HQ also meant no contact with family members.
>At this point, you were almost certain that was the root of the problem, even though nobody wanted to admit it.
>If this kept up, you dreaded how things would end up.
>You ran down the stairs and past Applejack, smacking her in the shoulder lightly in order to bring her back to reality.
“Come on!” you encouraged her. “We’ve got a Combustion thingy to fix!”
>Her face seemed to light up, and after tightening her ponytail, she sprinted ahead of you, leading the way to the spare parts chamber.


Day -6519 (Day 161 of the year 2018)

>”It was right here! I swear!”
> The empty clearing rested easy beneath the tree crowns and the dull, hot summer morning.
>Not a single drop of dew was left, as it all had disappeared and drifted to the deep blue sky above.
>The absence of clouds allowed the sunlight to pierce through the atmosphere, the only refugee from its rays being in the protective embrace of the apple trees.
>Applejack looked around the area with a sentinel’s gaze, her hands resting firmly on her wide, muscular, denim-covered hips.
>The contrast from yesterday was remarkable.
>Even in your sleep-deprived haze you could still see how well they covered their tracks.
>”Sorry, Dashie, but I ain’t never saw nobody come down ‘ere last night. Let alone a… rotatin’ thingemadoohickey.”
>The unkempt and tall grass would have left marks from all the heavy equipment the mysterious people brought with them, let alone the centrifuge from the aircraft, but now it didn’t seem like anyone had been here in months.
>You probably would have thought it was a dream by this point if Rainbow Dash hadn’t been at the scene with you.
>The two of you watched Applejack shrug empathetically and wander off between the trunks back to her chores.
>Once gone, Rainbow Dash lowered her shoulders in defeat, and you walked up next to her.
“I guess we’re at a dead end now. Except Miss Cupcake yesterday, nobody seems to have heard about this.”
>”I bet they covered it up.”
>Rainbow Dash kicked the grass in frustration, and somehow managed to hit a rock which went flying across the clearing, nailing a trunk on the other side with a hollow smack.
“Well, what are you gonna do… I really don’t wanna get into trouble with these guys. Besides, if the government wanted to cover this up, my experience tells me it’s best to leave it be.”
>You clapped Rainbow Dash friendly on the shoulder, attempting to cheer her up.
>As you looked up at her though, you got the feeling she didn’t need it as much as you thought, as her face had taken on quite an indifferent expression.
>”Oh well.” she sighed, staring up at the endless sky. “It was a pretty cool date though.”
“Well I… date?”
>”Race ya to the barn!”
>Before you could question her, she was gone into the shadows of the orchard, a trail of leaves gently floating to the ground left behind in her wake.

>You stood there for a moment while waiting for your brain to recharge.
>You hadn’t slept well, and suddenly everything seemed to fling past you quicker than you could react.
>All around you, the crickets chirped, and an occasional bird or two swooped far above, singing songs of solemn solitude.
>With the same lack of ocular movement, the hand you had suspended in the air in front of you slowly made its way back to your side, hanging loose from your shoulder as a gentle breeze ruffled your hair.
>You sighed in tune with the wind, and found yourself submitting to a certain sense of mellowness.
>You would miss these times in the future, you thought, fooling around with your friends without a care in the world.
>”Things are always in motion” you remembered Fluttershy would occasionally tell you. “Like the trees in the forest and the squirrels preparing for winter, you just have to accept change and keep going.”
>You and Rainbow Dash didn’t happen upon Sweet Apple acres just to investigate yesterday’s incident.
>This week was the last week of the semester before summers tides of heat washed over the hemisphere.
>Every year since you moved here, you and your six friends had held an end-of-semester-party to commemorate another successful educational year.
>Or, Pinkie Pie insisted on hosting one that is.
>In her defense, they were pretty good parties.
>You didn’t really think too much about how it would be like when it all came to an end.
>Yet, here you stood.
>You hadn’t really talked to your friends about the future.
>They didn’t yet know that they probably would never see you again.
>In your pocket, your hand clenched around your letter of admission which you for some reason had kept on you since you got it.
>’A prodigy’ they had called you.
>Where you were going, people weren’t known for returning back home for most of their career.
>But it was an opportunity you couldn’t pass up.
>’The Millenia Galactica’ project had asked for you by name.
>It was an opportunity for you to partake in something bigger than yourself, to help humanity in ways you couldn’t help your own sorry ass.
>But as long as you could leave knowing your friends were happy, that was all you could ask for.
>You had to make sure Rainbow Dash kept quiet about that mysterious organization before she got herself into some kind of trouble before you could help her.
>After clearing your mind you set on after Rainbow Dash, bracing yourself for your third exhausting run this week.

>”Where ya off to in such a hurry, Anon?” you heard a bright voice call out to you from in between the trees.
>You slowed down from your sprint and looked around the orchard, trying to find the source, but to no avail.
>You stood awkwardly in the middle of the road, not too far from the main barn of the farm, scanning the area before noticing a pink ribbon poking out from the branches.
>When entering into the shadowy embrace of the trees and looked up into the tree crowns, you spotted a little girl in a bright yellow tee and a short pair of jorts hanging upside down by her feet from one of the branches.
>Her childish face had an innocent, curious look, framed in by her abnormally long hair cascading down towards the ground like a bright red waterfall.
>Her signature ribbon still sat firmly on top of her head, like it was a part of her.
>In one quick motion, Applebloom grabbed the branch and swung herself around, landing safely into the soft grass.
>She dusted off her hands and turned her attention to you, wiping her forehead with her wrist.
>”Are ya gonna answer me or stare some more?” she asked, placing one hand on her slim hip.
“Oh sorry, I was just…” you fumbled with your words, still befuddled by finding her there. “Have you seen your sister?”
>The girl nodded energetically and motioned towards the old beat up shack on the far side of the farmhouse which acted as Applejack's workshop.
>”She n’ Dash headed up there, said she was showin’ her some projects or somethin’ or other.”
>You thanked her for her help, and was just about to set off again when…
>”Anon, wait!”
>Turning around, you noticed the redheads eyebrows converging upwards in a worried expression.
>She stared into the ground, seemingly having trouble forming words.
>”Is… Is it true yer leavin’ town after summer?”
>You made your way over to her, crouching down to her eye level.
“I’ll probably be gone by next week actually. I’ve got some important things to do.”
>”You’ll look out for my sis, won’t you?”
>Perplexed by her question, you sat there like a question mark.
“I mean… I’ll do my best, but I’m not sure if I’ll see her again for some time.”
>”Some strange men came to our house last night. I got scared so I went up to my room, but I think somethin’ weird’s goin’ on.”
>You patted her shoulder to comfort her, trying your best to hide how this new information shocked you.
>It seemed like whatever happened last night, Applejack was perfectly aware of it.
>You couldn’t recall the last time she had lied to you, but if she did hide the truth, you had no doubt she had a very good reason to.
>”But you’ll be there for her, right? You always have.”
“Of course I will.” you answered, giving the girl a warm smile.
>This seemed to comfort her enough, and with a grin and a pat on her head, she gave you a hug before disappearing into the orchard..
>Just as you got back up on your feet, you noticed a certain familiar silhouette making its way up the main road from the farm gates.
>Purple strands of hair flowed behind her as she cheerfully waved a hand at you.
>Behind Twilight followed three others, the rest of your merry group.
>You smiled, waved back, and waited for your friends to catch up before heading towards the main barn together.

>Walking along the dirt road, you found it hard to keep conversation with the others, and chose to walk a few steps behind by yourself.
>Applebloom was right, something was definitely off.
>It seems as though whoever those people were last night, they were so determined to keep it a secret they supposedly threatened the local farm.
>You didn’t know exactly what they said of course, but you imagined they could pull something like that off.
>The strange part was that the Kingdom was widely known around the world for being transparent with its actions and operations.
>An agency operating like this wasn’t very characteristic of the Monarchy, so you suspected that these people acted outside of government jurisdiction.
>Now the question remained why they would want to keep a discovery like this a secret.
>Of course, a lot of questions remained, but one at a time.

>During your walk you kept mulling over the events of the past twelve hours.
>They seem to have had a greater effect on you than you thought, and it didn’t help that Rainbow Dash was the only person you could turn to either.
>You were considering talking to Applejack about it, but it could bring about more trouble than you could handle right now.
>However, if there were any person in this world you could trust, it would be her.
>”Anon?!”
>The voice snapped you out of your deep thought, and in front of you, all four of your friends were looking at you with concerned expressions.
“Uh… Yes!”
>No reaction.
“No…?”
>Twilight planted her palm into her face and sighed in disappointment.
>”We’re getting set up at the usual place in the orchard.” Rarity parroted. “Would you be a dear and get Applejack for us?”
>You hastily nodded before they suspected you lost yourself again.
>You watched your friends make their way down a side road before turning your attention towards Applejack’s workshop.
>If you were to confront her, now would be as good a time as any without the others around.
>With heavy determined steps, you made your way towards the old shack, this time hopefully for some answers.

>With a careful grasp around the flimsy door handle, you slowly opened a crack in the entrance and announced your presence.
“Hello?”
>The dry wood walls and hay-covered floor of the shack dampened the acoustics, and your voice quickly disappeared into the room.
>When you didn’t get any response, you opened the door further.
>It didn’t move much further, however, as it struck something heavy behind it and stopped dead in its track much faster than you anticipated.
>A racket of metal came crashing down, and you winced as you endured the tremendous amount of noise generated from the debris, and you stood there hunching behind the door until a circular plate rolled around the corner and came to a standstill in front of you.
>You opened your eyes slowly and looked around, only to be met by a mess of wires and pipes sprouting from a central table, and several different metal objects laid sprawled across the floor.
>A clear path had been carved through the oxidized junk, and at the end of it stood two people staring at you with wide eyes.
>You leaned against the entryway for a few moments before realizing what was actually going on.
>At the other end of the room stood Applejack and Rainbow Dash facing away from each other while looking at you with worried expressions.
>In a hurry, you cleared your throat and leaned against the nearest support beam.
“Hello ladies.”
>”You alright, sugarcube?” Applejack inquired, completely ignoring your attempt at being funny.
>You dusted off your jacket and nodded before navigating over to the two girls, stumbling over heaps of what seemed like mostly useless machine parts.
“I knew you had a passion for engineering, AJ, but I never realized it went this far.” you stated, accidentally slamming your toes into a particularly heavy part and grabbing hold of a table to support yourself.
>Rainbow Dash grabbed a hold of your arm and helped you get back on your feet again.
>”What are you doing here?” she asked once you had stabilized.
“Was about to ask you the same thing.”
>Rainbow Dash looked at you for a second, then pinched her bridge and sighed.
>”Alright, let’s cut the fake shit, let’s talk about the UFO.”
>Applejack looked at her with a surprised expression, and it seemed like she grew more uncomfortable.
>She started fidgeting with the end of her braid, aggressively tugging on the red ribbon at the end.
>You were pretty shocked about how she went straight to the point, but this was the purpose of your visit too, so you decided to go along with it.
>”I ain’t got no clue what y’all talking about, honest!”
>”You had a giant silver spinning disc in your backyard and a bunch of creepy guys with rifles, I find it pretty hard to believe you didn’t see anything.”
>”You do realize I’ve got almost a hundred acres of land ‘round here, right?”
“Please, AJ, just talk to us about this, I know you’re aware of this. I already talked to Applebloom.”
>This seemed to catch her off guard, and she became completely silent.
>The farm girl slowly turned around and leaned onto a nearby workshop table, sighing to herself and closing her eyes.
>You and Rainbow Dash didn’t say anything, and let Applejack take her time.

>After a short while, she turned around and crossed her arms.
>”Alright, don’t y’all go fucking talkin’ ‘bout this to anyone, y’hear me? This is serious.”
>Both you and Rainbow Dash nodded in sync, and Applejack steeled herself before continuing.
>”I never did see this aircraft thingy, but they did come to our front door in this black truck. They call themselves Homefront, had all matching suits and everything.”
>You raised an eyebrow.
>The name ‘Homefront’ was completely new to you, and you couldn’t think of anything related to it.
>Your partner in crime seemed just as perplexed about this new information, but you didn’t say anything.
>”They didn’t say much, only that if we talked to anybody ‘bout the events in our orchard that night, our family would face some pretty serious consequences.”
>You covered your mouth and started pacing around.
>Everything that Applejack said just confirmed all your suspicions, and things just seemed more and more grim to you.
>Rainbow Dash also seemed pretty shook up about this.
>”So now y’all know why i couldn’t tell anyone about this stuff.”
>”You know, I wish I hadn’t asked.” Rainbow Dash groaned and sat down on a bucket on the floor.
>”It’s not that we’ve got some information to leak, but the fact that someone like that can stand up and threaten my and my family’s livelihood… I’m scared, honestly.”
>You sat down with your back against Rainbow Dash’s, scratching your neck.
“I really think there's just one thing to do about this situation.”
>You felt both of your friend’s gaze pierce you in the back, and you turned halfway around while throwing your hands in the air.
“Well, we have to be quiet about it!” you stated as if it would be obvious.
>”You just wanna forget about it and let them do what they want?” Rainbow Dash spoke up.
“You want to go up against someone like this? Be my guest, but remember you’re endangering your friend’s family business in the process.”
>The room went quiet, and you turned back towards the wall.
>After a few moments, you bounced back on your feet and put a firm hand on Applejack’s shoulder, looking deep into her eyes under the rim of her hat.
“I promise.” you vowed. “These people will not get away with this. But right now, there's nothing we can do except keep quiet. One day when we have more information on these guys, I’ll be by your side and help you to take these sons of bitches down.”
>Applejack nodded, a determined look on her face.
>For now, Homefront had silenced you, but if you had anything to say in the matter, this wouldn’t be the last time they had to deal with you.
>You had a plan brewing, even though it was a slow burn.
>It was pretty obvious that Homefront concealed important information about the nature of the universe, but to what extend you were unsure of.
>But until then, you had an end of semester party to attend to.
>After taking a vow of silence among yourself, you, Rainbow Dash and Applejack made your way to the clearing, determined to enjoy your last week together with all your friends.


Day 127

>A blazing orb of fire burnt away at its core, letting its light dance around the empty system to no audience at all.
>In the distance, another flash ignited for just a second before a giant dark ship cut through into the glow and entered a slow cruise.
>After staying seemingly dormant for a moment, only drifting slowly with no reaction, countless panels at the side of its three wings opened and glittering blue sails emerged.
>The sails spiraled around on an axis until they formed a dish around the ship, and were locked in place with huge magnet mechanisms before steam was ejected out of exhaust lanes behind the vessel.
>”Solar sails in place!” a bright voice called out from the lower deck.
>You tapped your fingers on the side of your chair impatiently, waiting for results.
>Suddenly, the entire ship nudged forward, slamming your head into the neck rest as the force from the surprisingly powerful solar winds grabbed a firm hold of the Excalibur and pushed her forward.
“Woah, keep her steady helm!” you called out to Rainbow Dash, who seemed to struggle to keep course due to the sudden acceleration. “Open the blinds by five percent, let some wind through.”
>By your command, small square increments of the solar dish twisted around, and immediately you felt Excalibur’s frame rest comfortably against the force of the massive clump of gas locking you in place around it.
>”It seems the solar emissions are more powerful than we expected” Twilight chimed in.
>You stared into the distance, towards the local star, and noticed how extremely bright the light from it appeared, even with the UV filters on.
“How big is this thing anyway?” you asked to your crew.
>”UY Scuti is approximately 1700 solar radi.” Twilight spoke up.
>An enlarged image of the star slowly rotating around itself was projected onto the front window.
>”It’s the biggest star currently known in our galaxy.”
>You seemed a bit unfazed by this information.
>From this distance it seemed just like any other star.
>Besides, this desolate system wasn’t exactly what you expected to find here.
>”So now what?” Rainbow Dash quipped.
>You thought for a while, then sighed.
“Set an intercept course towards the star. I’d like a high-altitude orbit, far enough away to not fry our systems.”
>Without another word, you got up from your chair and headed towards the bridge doors.
“Let’s just hope this journey gives us some answers.”

>A metallic knock tore you away from your deep thought.
>As you turned your chair around, you just witnessed Fluttershy make her way through your office entrance.
>”Oh, I hope I’m not intruding, Anon.”
>You shook your head and motioned towards a seat on the opposite side of your desk.
”I was actually hoping you’d pay a visit.” you pointed out as the pink-haired scientist made her way across the small chamber. “Something’s been on my mind for some time now, and I need some second opinions.”
>”Of course I’ll help, dear. What’s the matter?”
>You put your pen down, which until now had been used for nothing more than fidgeting, and planted your elbows into the mahogany surface of your desk.
“As I have no doubt you’re aware of, we have been unable to get in touch with NESA ever since we left Klepra.”
>”Malfunctioning comm equipment wouldn’t be a surprise to me over this large of a distance.” Fluttershy stated, folding her hands into her lap.
“Yeah, see, that’s the weird part. According to Rarity, the tech behind them is sound and it shouldn’t take us more than a few days to get an answer. I’ve sent a report every week since we came aboard this ship, but none of them have been met with any replies.”
>Fluttershy went quiet.
>It felt to you like she had already accepted the situation and didn’t seem worried by it.
“Well,” You said while you got up from your chair and started pacing around. “To be honest, I’m not really worried about the Agency here. What worries me the most is that we haven’t gotten any messages from our families or anything in months. We’re completely in the dark about what’s going on at home, and they probably haven’t heard from us either.”
>You stopped in front of your window, where you had a prime view of the desolate star system.
“I think it’s putting some emotional strain on the others, and I wouldn’t want that on anyone.”
>”Well, what are you suggesting?” Fluttershy finally added to the conversation.
“I think someone at NESA changed their mind on this mission and didn’t feel like telling us…” you turned around and saw Fluttershy with the same indifferent and innocent expression. “Or someone is sabotaging us from this ship.”

>After discussing your concerns further with Fluttershy, it seemed to put her into a state of unrest as well, but she appeared more convinced something fishy was happening aboard Excalibur.
>You could only hope you hadn’t convinced her of a threat which only existed in your head.
>For now, you had no concrete evidence to support your case, but you still made Fluttershy promise to keep her eyes open.
>In your head, if Fluttershy saw your concerns as being purely psychological, she would most likely tell you about it and help you solve it because of her profession.
>The fact that she didn’t act on it convinced you further that you were on the right track about this problem.
>After she left to her duties you thought about the risks of telling her about this.
>One thing was clear to you now, and it was that Fluttershy seemed sincere enough to trust for now.
>A sneaking suspicion crawled up your spine during your talk, something you hadn’t thought about for years.
>Like foam rising to the surface in the cup of a hot drink, repressed memories came rushing back to you.
>You didn’t tell Fluttershy about that detail, but you knew exactly who you needed to consult about it.

>”Okay, we’re here, what’s the big idea?”
>Rainbow Dash constantly readjusted herself to find a comfortable position, but nothing seemed to work.
>For now, she appeared forced to keep one limb pressed against any four sides of the rectangular ventilation shaft to keep herself stable.
>It was an unconventional meeting place for sure, but you had to make sure nobody else listened in.
>Not that this didn’t make you feel any less of a lunatic paranoid, but it was your way to make sure nobody suspected your awareness of the problem.
“Okay, until now I’ve kept most of the crew in the dark about this, but I doubt it has gone unnoticed. We’ve had some communications problems recently.”
>”What kind of ‘communication problem’?” Applejack asked, casually leaning against an inactive air pump.
“Well, to put it bluntly, we haven’t had any contact with Earth since Klepra. I’ve periodically sent reports back, but I haven’t heard anything at all.”
>Applejack and Rainbow dash looked at each other before diverting their attention back to you.
>”That’s… worrying…”
>Yeah, I thought the lack of messages from back home was ‘cause of a busy period or somethin’. Do we know what’s the problem?” The engineer asked, but you shook your head.
“If we did, we would have it fixed already. Rarity has run multiple diagnostics and keeps telling me the systems are fine.”
>”And you think some outside force is in our way?”
>Taken by surprise that Applejack figured all that out just from what you told her, you slowly nodded and informed them of your suspicions.
“It’s the reason I called both of you here. I think Homefront is behind it.”
>Just as you uttered those words, you heard Applejack silence a giggle.
>Baffled by what she found so funny, you raised an eyebrow.
>”Look, sorry partner, but you wanna bring up those guys now?”
“Is this a bad time?” you asked stoically.
>”We told them off as just another wacko conspiracy theory years ago when we didn’t find anything on them.”
“You might not have, but I did.”
>Your statement seemed to silence the engineer, and she looked at you through the corner of her eye.
“During my time stationed earthside at NESA, I read multiple statements from people claiming they’ve been in contact with them, and the cases are always related to supernatural phenomena. Every time they have always gone out of their way to silence people.”
>The two didn’t take their eyes off you.
>”How do we know this isn’t more crazy conspiracies or made up stories?” Rainbow Dash said, shifting her pose again to no avail.
“We don’t, of course, but you saw the same thing as I did, Dash, and you heard them even state their name AJ. Now I don’t know what they hope to gain from this, but somebody intends to silence us.” The two sat there in silence, looking at you with what could only be described as disbelief.
“Okay, listen, I traveled around for a bit and paid some of these people a visit. All the details check out. I don’t think these Homefront guys are just a big coincidence.”
>”I’m havin’ a hard time believin’ all this.”
“I won’t demand that you do, but I just ask that you keep your eyes open to anything unusual. I need to figure out what’s going on aboard my ship, and I intend to fix this.”
>Your friends grew silent, but after a short while nodded in agreement.

>After making them promise to tell you if they saw something and struggling your way out of the engine room maintenance shaft, you all went your separate ways.
>None of this would solve the problem immediately, but maybe you’d figure out what was actually going on.
>And if Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy or Applejack had been compromised by whatever intended to silence you… Well, you’d pretty much be screwed.
>Nice plan asshole.
>”Anon!” a voice called out for you from behind you and ripped you from your thoughts.
>You turned around and noticed Rarity dashing towards you down the corridor, a worried expression plastered across her face.
“What’s the problem?” you asked as she stopped to catch her breath in front of you.
>”It’s Twilight! Something’s happening!”

>You rushed through the door of the sick bay only to find Twilight unconscious on one of the medical tables with Fluttershy frantically scanning her with a wide array of tools.
>Twilight’s lab coat had been ripped open to reveal the pulsating stone in her chest, and you finally got a good look at the impact point.
>Where the mineral met her skin, it almost seemed like the wound had been cauterized, and the area where flesh joined rock appeared almost seamless.
>The stone seemed almost lodged diagonally between her breasts, piercing directly through where her heart would have been.
>Whatever kept her alive was way beyond you, but now it seemed like the fantasy you were living for the past weeks was slowly torn to shreds.
>The green crystalline object had now begun pulsating rapidly, and bright flashes illuminated the room around you.
>You had to shield your eyes from the light as you made your way across the room to her side.
>For some reason, Twilight seemed like she was in a deep sleep.
>She showed no sign of being present at all.
>You looked over at Fluttershy with a worried expression, but she only returned it with a frown and a shake of her head.
>”I don’t know what’s wrong with her, I’m not getting any response. It’s like she just flatlined out of nowhere. Since she doesn’t have any pulse, I would have declared her dead on the spot, but I’d say the circumstances are quite extraordinary.”
“Don’t give up on her yet.” you said and bent over the unconscious scientist to get a better look at her..
>Looking down at Twilight’s face, she seemed calm, serene even, like she fell asleep after a long day of hard work.
>Putting your hand over her nose and mouth, you felt no breath or noticed any response from her whatsoever.
“Damn it.” you cursed, slamming your palm against the table. “Why didn’t we order a more thorough medical exam after she got struck.”
>”I did to the best of my ability, Anon.” Fluttershy apologized with a shaking voice. “I’m afraid there was nothing to examine at all. She seemed perfectly healthy in every way. You know, except for the lack of a pulse of course.”
“And now look at her.” you mumbled to yourself, standing up and turning away from the table.

>Just then, Rainbow Dash, Applejack and Pinkie Pie entered the chamber.
>”Is she gonna be okay?!” Pinkie bawled as she ran over and kneeled next to the table.
>Her mood abruptly changed however, just like everyone else in the room, when the crystal suddenly lit up the entire room and a thin green beam blasted out of the tip of the rock and swept across the room in a flash.
>Everyone cowered at the sudden change of events, but slowly got back up and lifted their head from the protective embrace of their arms.
>Everything had been drenched in a bright green tint, and the beam from Twilight kept a constant line directed straight towards the bow of the ship.
>You looked around and saw your other friends were just as baffled as you.
>Carefully, you moved your palm through the beam, and found it to be just light when it passed through and cut it off from the wall.
“It’s alright guys. I don’t think we’re in danger.” you spoke up to calm the others.
>”What in tarnation is going on here?” Applejack demanded to know. “W-what is that thing!?”
“Anyone an expert on laser-shooting minerals?” you asked in a weak attempt to be sarcastic.
>Everyone got quiet, and you could hear a weak high-pitched and pulsating hum emitting from the stone.
>Probably not the right time.
>”I think…” Fluttershy finally said. “...If this thing gave us co-ordinates before, maybe it’s trying to guide us towards something again?”
>You really wanted to know what thought processes she had gone through to reach that conclusion, but for now it was the best idea anyone had come up with.
“Alright, let’s try and get her up to the bridge. I want to see how far this thing shines, because right now it’s leading us straight into a medbay wall.”
>The others silently agreed, and Applejack scooped the unconscious scientist into her arms and made her way out of the lab.

“Quick, over here!”
>On your command, Applejack put Twilight carefully down in the command seat.
>The entire way up to the bridge, you and your friends had witnessed how the beam emitting from Twilight's chest had been consistently facing the same direction around every corner.
>Now that you had a better view, it became clear that it was aimed at the star.
>It seemed to go on forever endlessly into the ball of fire ahead, aimed slightly to the left of its core.
>You looked around with your mouth half agape, clueless as to what the next step should be.
>In truth, the answer was obvious, but you couldn’t bring yourself to believe all these events were deliberate.
>After all, it’s still just a rock… right?
>”I guess our purpose in this system is quite clear now, wouldn’t you agree?” Rarity finally said, breaking the silence which had persisted since you left the medical bay.
>You nodded and nervously scratched your stubble.
“To your stations. Let’s follow that beam and see what the hell is going on.”
>Without hesitation, the crew sans Twilight, whom you left in your chair, rushed to the lower bridge and booted up their consoles.
>You assumed a standing position behind your own panels.
“Alright.” you announced. “Dash, heading two two eight mark four, declination six. Bring her up to maximum sub-light speed until we are a thousand light seconds from the star.”
>”Aye!” Rainbow Dash shouted before removing the thruster actuation locks.
“Rarity and Fluttershy, I want you to scan that star and see if you can spot anything unusual about it.”
>”What about me?!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed.
“Uhh… Make sure no foreign object approaches us during transit. If you spot anything, notify me immediately.”
>The eccentric girl saluted you with a grin, probably just happy to bring some meaning to her otherwise inactive station, and dove nose-first into her monitors.
>Almost quite literally so.
“Alright, let’s find out what’s the meaning of all this.”
>You felt gravity displace itself as the ship’s thrusters kicked in.
>Only small increments of boosts were needed, as the solar sail dish caught the solar winds with ease.
>Through the window you watched as the nose of the ship slowly turned around to face the enormous star.
>It was hard to see it properly this far away, but as you got closer you would be able to see the true scale of it.
>You looked at Twilight’s unconscious body with worry, mentally crossing your fingers that whatever had put you out here could also fix her.


Day 128

“Shouldn’t we be practically next to it by now?” you asked, looking at the enormous orb of light towering far above you.
>The sheer size of it almost gave you vertigo, but you held fast to your desk so you wouldn’t fall.
>”We’re still quite far away. Any normal person wouldn’t be able to comprehend the scale of something this massive, so don’t be surprised.”
>You glared over at Fluttershy thinking she tried to throw a snarky comment your way, but she stared back with sincere innocence.
>”Wait, Anon, something isn’t right here.”
“What’s the matter Rarity?”
>She turned around from her station and looked at you with worry.
>”Since we got here, my computer has been registering anomalous luminosity drops all across the star by up to 0.2 per cent.”
“And this is noteworthy because…?”
>”Anon, 0.2 per cent is quite significant, at least with a star as large as this. It most likely indicates passing or obstructing objects.”
“So you’re telling me there is something out here? I thought this system had no satellites.”
>Rarity nodded and brought a few images with several scan results up to the main viewer.
>”Preliminary scans show that there shouldn’t be any other object out here, but these new discoveries prove otherwise.”
>You followed the green ray from Twilight's chest and all the way out beyond Excalibur’s nose.
>If you didn’t know any better, you’d think it was leading you into the celestial lamp itself.
>Something was hidden in the light, you just had to get close enough to see it.

>You had now been circling the star for two hours trying to figure this mystery out.
>During this time you had already made three cups of coffee, moved an additional chair from the living area to the bridge out of fear your knees would give up, and applied four layers of UV filters to the view screen.
>It was still nearly impossible to see anything beyond the wall of fire which now covered your vision, and the beam showing you the way seemed to go on forever in a strange spiral-shaped orbit.
>Twilight had not showed any lifesigns since she fell asleep either.
>You were worried for her wellbeing, but refused to give up on her.
>The only sign you had that she wasn’t gone was the fact that her hand was still warm.
>”Oh. OH!”
>Some movement from the lower bridge deck caught your attention, and you could see Pinkie Pie bouncing up and down in her chair with her arm stretched into the air.
>”Anon, I’ve spotted something!” she exclaimed. “A long curved object is heading towards us! I can’t make out its dimensions, it seems to span the entire horizon.”
“Shit, shields up! Arm the main canons!”
>”Don’t!”
>You nearly jumped and yelled like a little girl, and turned around in shock to see Twilight sitting up in your chair, sweat pouring down her forehead and breathing heavily.
>Without skipping a beat, Fluttershy made her way up and did a check up on her to make sure she was alright.
>The ray was still pouring out of her like a beacon, rising and falling as Twilight attempted to calm down her breathing.
>”I can’t find anything wrong with her.” Fluttershy said as she put down her tools.
>Suddenly, Twilight’s head turned to you with an expression you could only interpret as panic.
>”We do not wish to harm you. Allow us to show you hospitality and welcome you to our society.”
>You sat speechless next to the scientist who now seemed to spout nonsense to you.
>Looking at Fluttershy, she seemed as blown away by this as you, gripping her mouth trying not to scream.
>”Pardon me. This is your prefered method of communication, is it not?”
“Twilight, are you okay?” your voice was shaking.
>The purple-haired womans expression of fear did not match her monotone voice at all.
>You mostly feared for her safety rather than yours and the crews.
>This was far from normal behaviour.
>”Twilight…” She mulled over the word for a short moment. “Is this the name of the bearer of this vessel?”
>You had calmed down a bit, starting to believe you had gained a vague understanding of the situation.
“The one who speaks now is not named Twilight?” you attempted.
>A few moments of silence passed by.
>You saw Twilight's glossy eyes stare pleadingly at you, and you touched her shoulder with a calm hand.
>”I am Asakitt of The Concord. We have been expecting you to arrive.”
>You felt chills run down your spine.
>This couldn’t be possible.
>”Your vessel is emitting strange readings. This reaction was not accounted for.” Twilight spoke again with the same monotone voice. “We apologize for any misunderstandings regarding your culture. Please hold your position. Our orbits will intersect shortly and we will explain further.”
>Like unplugging a lamp, the green ray severed its connection with Twilight's chest, and she immediately heaved for air and grabbed your shoulders for support.
>”Oh my god oh my god oh my god I’m freaking out!” She screamed while gripping her chest. “Please tell me this is real!”
“You’re okay Twilight, we’re here, calm down.”
>She dumped her head onto your chest while clamping down on your shoulder so hard that you would surely feel it the next morning.

>After sitting there for a few minutes, Twilight finally let go and leaned back into the seat.
>Fluttershy made her way over to her side once more, but again couldn’t find anything wrong with her physically.
>”I had that dream again. It felt so real.”
“What dream?” you inquired, but didn’t get an immediate answer from the poor exhausted woman.
>”She had some sort of vision when she was struck by the crystal.” Fluttershy explained, caringly brushing through her friends hair. “It’s nothing we can explain right now. Apparently they have been growing more frequent lately.”
>You reached out and put a hand on Twilight's knee.
“Are you feeling alright?” you asked.
>She nodded slowly, sighing while wiping a drop of water from her chin.
>”These things I was saying, I had no control over myself. I didn’t know what to do, and even if I did I couldn’t even move.”
“I’m just glad to know you’re with us again.”
>Twilight tried to stand up, but didn’t come far before she fell back into the chair.
>With a longing gaze, she stared at the star ahead.
>”Dash, make a full stop.” Twilight instructed. “Something tells me we should listen to what this thing has to say.”
>Without question, Rainbow Dash did as she was told, and the Excalibur came to a full stop.
“Divert some power to the heat shields too.” you continued. “Let’s try not to get fried up out here.”
>”Aye!” Applejack saluted and went to work right away.
“You’re sure about this?” you asked Twilight.
>She gave you a determined nod.
>”I have a feeling that what I’m seeing isn’t just a dream. I need some closure.” the scientist sighed and put a hand to her forehead.
“Alright then. Let’s see what this Asakitt guy wants.”

>Your hand was firmly placed on Rainbow Dash’s chair as you tried your best not to succumb to vertigo.
>The field of view at the helm was amazing, and from your point right behind the pilot you could really appreciate the scale of your ship.
>To your left and right you could see the lower wings make their way from the thruster engine barrels, angled down about 30 degrees from the main body before concluding in weight equalization compartments built for atmospheric flight.
>Thankfully, Excalibur hadn’t been required to enter the atmosphere of a planet yet.
>You had a feeling it wouldn’t bode well for the ship’s structure anyway.
>In front of you, the thin and sleek bow reached out towards the star blocking your path.
>At the end of it sat the front-facing railgun accompanied by the curved, shielded plating protecting it from any stray debris or other things which could harm it.
>Again, you felt grateful for the fact that you hadn’t found use for it yet.
>Starting an interstellar war was definitely not one of your top priorities at this point.

>Above you, past the top wing and its weight compartment, the immense curved structure slowly made its way towards you.
>It seemed to circle the entire star like a containment field, rotating vigilantly around the only solid body in several lightyears.
>It was hard to make out the details, but some scans have showed it to be a ring-shaped tube which encircled the star, and rotated on 35-day cycles, both on a lateral and horizontal axis.
>How someone could build a structure in this close proximity to a star baffled you, but then again, their technological advancements probably far exceeded yours.
>The fact that you treated this situation with such calmness worried you slightly.
>If this turned out to be what you suspected, it would be an important step for your country... no, your entire planet.
>In truth, you weren’t really ready to accept that responsibility of introducing yourself to another intelligent alien species.
>A new thought crept into your mind.
>What if they aren’t friendly at all?
>Maybe they were looking to extort information about your species and your defences.
>The risk was there that all they wanted to was to destroy you.
>But, in the pursuit of science, everyone on board had agreed that this encounter had to be carried out.

>”500 kilometers till approach, Anon.” Rarity informed you.
>You turned around and started pacing through the lower bridge, addressing the crew.
“Disengage auto cruise, collapse the solar sails.” you ordered. “I trust you can bring us in on impulse, Dash?”
>”No problem!” the pilot enthusiastically saluted you and grabbed a firm hold of the manual control stick.
>You took a standing position in the middle of the bridge where you could see most of the screens and still have a good view of the outside.
>This was something you wouldn’t want to miss.
>”450 kilometers till approach.”
>The ship’s frame shifted as the glittering blue sails retracted into the large wings and the shielding closed them in.
“Alright, bring her in steady.”
>Gently, Rainbow Dash increased engine power, and you felt the world tilt slightly forward as the powerful thruster barrels ignited.
>Slowly, the vessel picked up speed and entered a slow glide.
>”350 kilometers.”
>You observed as the giant ring approached you slowly and several small details were slowly revealed to you on its surface.
>The massive structure soon brought you into its dark embrace as it blotted out the starlight, and its true size became apparent to you.
>”250 kilometers.”
>As the massive star disappeared behind the towering structure, you noticed a long rectangular part of its hull was shimmering in an eerie blue light.
>Four other hollow squares were projected outside if, flickering in a way which appeared to be motioning towards the structure.
>On closer inspection, the rectangle was revealed to actually be hollow, much to your surprise.
>”Anon…” Twilight appeared next to you with a pulsating tablet and directed your gaze to the portside of your ship.
>Again, you were taken aback when you noticed a strange tear-shaped vessel with a blue streak following behind it.
>The surface of what you could only assume was an escort craft glittered in magnificent silver as it reflected the pulsating blue lights from the structure ahead.
>It almost seemed like jewelry, molded with polished and smooth metal.
>The object danced playfully around the ship with impressive maneuverability, curiously observing the Excalibur.
>You found yourself becoming slightly embarrassed, like showing up dressed in a casual outfit at a high class galla as Excalibur clumsily spewed out rocket fire from its engines just to keep a stable course.
>You had only seen one other ship at this place, and already you felt like you were flying in a pile of junk.
>And this was supposed to represent the peak of your species technological evolution.
>”150 kilometers.”

“Dash, home in on the glowing section. I think they might want us to dock there.”
>Like a clumsy whale, the ship started rotating by firing its powerful RCS thrusters along the bow.
>It soon became apparent that what looked like a small hollow section on the destination’s hull actually was a gargantuan spaceport, and you could see thousands of ships several times your size laying dormant while small drones buzzed around outside tending to their needs.
>Countless black towers stood tall against the back wall inside the illuminated space, sectioning off areas of all shapes and sizes for ships to dock.
>The sheer diversity of the dormant ships sent your jaw flying towards the ground as you stood there in awe.
>”100 kilometers.”
>You had now passed the threshold of the dock.
>The ring had embraced you fully, and you noticed a transparent blue force separating you and the shipyard from each other.
>Just as Excalibur’s bow came into contact with the field, its entire frame shook violently, and you had to grab a hold of a nearby pole to keep you on your feet.
>Twilight came veering towards you, and with a swift motion you grabbed her shoulder and pulled her close to you, saving her head from knocking into a nearby desk.
“Status report?” you yelled out as the ship finally calmed down.
>”I uhh… seem to have lost control of her.” Rainbow Dash exclaimed, desperately trying to move her flight stick and throttle to no avail.
>”We’re still moving, Anon.” Rarity pointed out from the other side of the bridge.
>You awkwardly helped Twilight get back on her feet before you looked outside.
>The ship seemed to have entered a gentle glide, heading directly towards an empty slot at the very back of the spaceport.
>”I’m detecting a massive energy surge along the hull.” Twilight informed you.
>”I-if I may...” Fluttershy carefully pulled your sleeve in an attempt to gain your attention.
>You turned around and waited for her to continue, although you had to wait for a few seconds before she took the hint.
>”O-oh, well, I’m detecting no system malfunctions. I think this is some sort of tractor beam technology.”
>You stared back in confusion.
>But after mulling it over, you realized it wasn’t outside the realm of possibility.
>From what you had seen, the technology of these species far exceeded anything you had developed at home.
>The new proposal carried you down from your panicked state, and you now noticed your giant hulking mass of a spacecraft gently flying through the crowded dock.
>After having observed the alien vessels closely as you sat along for the ride, you finally noticed an empty spot coming up as you rounded a structure which seemed like someone jammed a bunch of giant metal spikes into a pink slimy ball.
>You watched as the Excalibur slowly slid into place, like a jigsaw puzzle piece fitting perfectly into its slot.
>You had to admit, this port amazed you with its automated logistics, something you would have never dreamt of seeing back home.
>Excalibur eventually came to a full stop, and three giant metal claws emerged from above and gently pressed against the hull, locking it in place.

>You stood still for a second, expecting something else to happen, but the spaceport grew completely dormant.
>Except for the occasional drone flying past, taking some confusing looks at your ship and moving on, nothing else hinted at future events taking place in your vicinity.
“Soooo…” you said after a while.
>”It appears we’ve reached our destination.” Rarity commented.
>”Indeed.” Twilight agreed.
>In the corner of your eye, you noticed some slight movement.
>It was so miniscule that you didn’t even think to pay attention to it at first.
>But when it was almost halfway across your bow, you snapped your head in its direction as it nearly startled you.
>Like a creature curiously sniffing at something new, a white pipe stretching far off into the distance had approached your hull and started poking it.
>You didn’t really know what to think at first, as you stared at it probing every inch of your portside for something.
>”Pardon the intrusion, humans, but could you direct me to your airlocks?”
>In shock, you turned around and emitted a weak “eep”.
>Twilight rolled her eyes at you and looked downwards.
>It took you a few seconds, but after numerous attempts, you finally figured out that she was looking at her own mouth.
>When you also realized that she was unable to move any other body part, you slapped yourself in the forehead, disappointed in your own stupidity.
“Give us a moment, we’ll give you a signal.”
>As if invisible strings were cut from her, Twilight suddenly shook her head and grabbed her temples with both of her hands.
>”Oh, I’m gonna give that Asakitt guy a piece of my mind!” she exclaimed through gritted teeth.
>Your attempt to calm her down was futile, as she paced around the bridge deck almost with visible tufts of steam rising from her head.
>”What gives him the right to intrude on me like that!”
“Look, I’ll talk to him about it, alright?” you said when Twilight finally slouched down in a nearby chair. “At least I think I will... AJ, can you flash the portside airlock emergency lights?”
>With a silent salute, the engineer turned around and typed something on her console.
>Almost immediately, you noticed the pipe shooting off and out of your line of sight.
>You took it as a cue and walked towards the front of the bridge so that everyone could see you.
“Well, what do you all say we go greet our new interstellar… uh… ‘friends’?”
>The atmosphere in the chamber grew awkward almost right away.
>The thought that this would be the official first contact with an alien species on behalf of humanity probably hadn’t occurred to anyone yet.
>You weren’t quite ready for it yourself, but at this point it was inevitable.

>Steeling yourselves, the entire crew made their way to the portside maintenance airlock and outfitted yourself with your spacesuits and oxygen supply to last you quite a while.
>Who knows what kind of environment they had engineered on board the station.
>Better to be safe than suffocating, as Applejack used to say during your orbital maintenance checks before leaving Earth.
>All of you stood in the airlock for a few minutes in silence, looking at each other.
>The reality had finally caught up to you.
>With heavy breaths you tried to calm down your beating heart, but it kept on striking hard against your ribs.
>At several points your visor became so foggy you had to drain your helmet.
>Finally, you grabbed the release handle and looked at your friends.
>When they all nodded, you pulled the lever, and instantly the red room lit up in a bright white light.
>Shielding your eyes, you turned towards the circular exit and noticed the tube that had attached itself to your ship was, in fact, a ridiculously long tunnel.
>With careful steps, you slowly made your way onto the floor which seemed to be composed of a strange grating of sorts.
>It felt solid as you applied your weight to it.
>Nearly ominously so.
>You didn’t even feel a slight wobble as you curiously walked around inside the nearly three meter tall tube, and it felt strange when you thought about how long this tunnel stretched across empty space.
>Some distance in you looked behind you and saw your crew loyally at your heels.
>They seemed just as nervous and curious as you, staring at the glass-like white surface which covered the tunnel.
>After having walked in a straight line for around five minutes you arrived in front of a large metallic gate.
>It had complex engravings all over the two-piece door, but there was no way you could possibly make out what they meant.
>As the last crew member arrived into the narrow chamber, an aperture-like gate closed the tunnel off behind you.
>After nervously standing around for a few seconds, a crack in the metal door ahead revealed itself with the hiss of pressurized gas being released.
>Slowly, like a dramatic movie scene, the two chrome doors slid apart in tune with the sound of heavy mechanical parts ticking inside the walls, and as your eyes adjusted to the light your entire crew gasped in awe of the sight before you.

>Past the doorway, a shimmering pavilion was laid out, covered in a matte amber material.
>Four thick pillars stretched upwards, colliding with the bottom of another floor far above you.
>They seemed almost organic in nature as if it had been grown, with rounded edges and no straight lines to be seen anywhere.
>But most impressive was what laid ahead outside the platform.
>Beyond the railing of the terrace ahead, a giant silver wall towered on the other side of a massive gap in the middle of the station.
>Floor upon floors revealed epic diversity, like someone had taken a knife and cut through a planet-wide shopping center.
>You couldn’t even begin to comprehend everything that was going on on the other side.
>Stepping up to the edge, you noticed just how far down the central ravine stretched.
>The curvature of the station was also apparent from your vantage point.
>As you followed the bottom with your eyes, eventually you met with a thick fog which obscured most of the structure past it except the outlines of the floors.
>Looking up, you saw a large curved window giving you a good look at the outside, mainly the star which covered most of the view.
>Crossing the ravine were hundreds of bridges of all shapes and sizes.
>They seemed quite active, with an ocean of shapes drifting across them.
>They linked the two sides of the station together so it seemed kind of obvious that they would be.
>Moving through them along the empty ravine were countless different crafts, each looking equally alien.
>They zipped around and through the gaps between the bridges like nimble insects.
>Each had their own purpose for being there, but you couldn’t even begin to imagine what that might be.

>You turned around and saw your friends looking around just as dumbfounded as you.
>Their eyes were darting around, always finding something new and more interesting to look at than the previous thing.
>You walked past them, but they didn’t seem to notice you.
>Staring down the seemingly endless hallway on both sides, you saw nobody coming to greet you.
>In fact, the entire floor felt absent, devoid of life.
>You started worrying if they thought you were the hostile ones, and if they were hiding to observe you.
>It appeared that the crew weren’t equally worried about this as you, so maybe it was just your way of rationalizing things.
>”Anon.” A voice called for you.
>You turned to see Fluttershy pointing upwards.
>As you followed her gesture, you saw seven small silver orbs floating above you, each with three holes in a triangle shape at the bottom.
>They were hanging silently in the air, swaying in sync with each of the crews movements.
>You took a step to the right, and as you expected, the orb followed suit, perfectly like it was attached to you.
>”I’m reading… atmosphere. No, oxygen!” Rarity said in shock.
>You turned to her in surprise.
“Wait… Are you serious?”
>”I believe she speaks the truth, my earthly friends!”
>The new addition to your conversation made everyone turn around.
>A large creature emerged from a door in the wall which was previously invisible to you.
>By your estimates, the creature appeared to tower about two and a half meters.
>It also seemed to have the body of what looked like a centaur, with two limbs attached to its torso which you presumed to be arms, complete with fingers and opposable thumbs.
>Its lower body had four massive legs ending in circular stumps like that of an elephant.
>On top of its shoulders sat a rather small head with a likeness you could only compare to a moose without its antlers.
>Hanging on both sides of his head were two long flaps which you assumed were ears.
>Its whole body was covered in long fur with strange red and white patterns, and to top it all off, two small horns just barely peeked above the coat on his head.
>It was impossible to see any eyes, as they were obscured with two massive hair growths sticking out where you presumed they would be.
>It also had what you could only assume was a long white mustache hanging down below its snout.

>The creature stopped in front of you and stroked its chin thoughtfully.
>All of you stood there in silence and waited for a reaction.
>Suddenly, the creature made a short guttural noise and the corners of his mouth moved away from each other.
>Was that supposed to be a chuckle and a smile?
>”Humans!” it suddenly said in a deep rumbling voice while moving his hands out. “My name is Asakitt. I welcome you to The Concord.”
>It motioned towards the impressive view while putting his other arm behind his back.
>You were quite impressed how well this Asakitt mimicked your language.
>”I have no doubt you have many questions. You are free to roam the ring as you see fit!”
>You looked back to your crew, and they all returned your gaze with worrying glances of their own.
>”Oh, and I was told to inform you that your natural breathing environment has been replicated successfully. You won’t require those helmets as long as you stay aboard our station, friends.”
>You eyed your friends, and they looked around on each other as well.
>It felt like a standoff.
>Who would dare to remove their helmets first?
>Finally, you sighed and grabbed the edges of your own.
>With a worried audience, you slowly unscrewed the safety locks and lifted it above your head.
>Once it came off, you inhaled deeply, more for show than anything.
>The air felt sweet, like a distant field in the morning, untouched by modern society’s pollution.
>Surprised that they had been able to replicate it this well, an involuntary smile grew on your face.
>Seeing this, your crew one by one removed themselves from the safe confines of the spacesuit helmets and tasted the air around them.
>As they breathed, you noticed the orbs started hissing, and it became clear to you that they were the ones generating the atmosphere around you.
>For once, it felt like you had entered a safe space, that you had found some sort of understanding with these beings.
>You turned to the large creature behind you to thank him, but were cut off before you could say anything.
>”Now with that out of the way, I would like to have a word with your commander alone. I believe we have some things to discuss.”
>Asking Asakitt to wait a second, you gathered all your friends a few paces away from him in a circle around you.
“Alright, we need a few rules when it comes to all of this.” you told them.
>”Oh come on.” Rainbow Dash exclaimed in dismay. “We’re not twelve!”
>”Maybe not, but we don’t want to cause trouble because of misunderstandings.” Twilight defended you.
>Rainbow dash pouted and crossed her arms.
>”Fine…” she finally said reluctantly.
“You can do whatever you want, of course, just don’t eat anything weird before you scan it or do anything that’s illegal back home just in case. And most importantly, stick together.”

>After the crew gave you their word to stay safe, you watched as they wandered off down the corridor together with the orbs hovering above them.
>Once they were out of sight, you turned and saw Asakitt observing you with curiosity.
>You scratched your head as you approached him.
>At least you presumed it was a he.
“I uhh…“ you finally said. “We were trained back home on how to act around alien lifeforms, but this is way above my paygrade.”
>Asakitt cocked his head to the side.
>”Yes, I am sure this is quite a lot to take in.”
>You looked out over the ravine and nodded.
“I guess we went from oblivious to overwhelmed in just a few minutes.”
>Asakitt walked up next to you where you stood leaning over the railing.
>The sheer diversity of absolutely everything you saw almost felt like sensory overload to you, and you quickly turned around.
>Looking up at Asakitt, he seemed to proudly observe everything as if he saw it all for the first time.
“So what is this ‘Concord’ anyway?” you inquired.
>The massive creature turned his attention to you and smiled.
>”Walk with me.” he motioned towards the corridor opposite of the way your friends went.
>You followed him as instructed, quietly observing the impressive logistic of his legs stomping around on the floor.
>It felt more like a spider than a horse to you, each stump hitting the ground individually in perfect cycles.
>”This station was built as a symbol of peace.” Asakitt’s deep voice snapped you out of your thoughts.
>Looking up at him, you could see him observing you back.
>”A long time ago, most species aboard this station was at war with each other. They fought for precious commodities, clashing ideologies or misunderstandings. After one of them developed super weapons which could tear stars apart, we knew it was time to end it all or we would surely meet our demise. The Concord was created to ensure a mutual ground where all peaceful species could walk.”
“So it’s like a forum.” you suggested.
>Asakitt nodded.
>”Of course, this concept is entirely within your realm of understanding.” Asakitt chuckled to himself. “This is a place where everyone can come to discuss, trade or socialize.”
>These aliens had managed to achieve things not even you could among yourselves, you thought.
>It was quite obvious why you were brought to this place.
>But you still had some burning questions.
“Why are you showing us all of this now?”
>”It has been a rule of our governing forces not to intervene with non-spacefaring species, as it would destroy the natural progression of their culture. Your planet, however, is the source of many a discussion on that topic.”
“And why is that?”
>”Well, let’s just say you have been visited quite often during your years of development.”

>You stopped in your tracks.
>What was he implying?
>Asakitt noticed you weren’t by his side anymore and stopped as well.
“What do you mean?”
>The alien raised his eyebrows, seemingly surprised you got hung up about the issue.
>”I’m afraid I’m not at liberty to discuss that.” he said after a while.
>Your mind started drifting towards all the tales you had read about of alien encounters that had been suppressed by Homefront.
>That was when you started to remember Sweet Apple Acres.
“Can you at least answer one question?”
>Asakitt looked down, seemingly deep in thought.
>After a few moments, he turned back towards you.
>”I am sure I can make one exception.
“June 9th 2018 local time, a rotating craft appeared over my friends farm. I want to know what it was doing there.”
>Asakitt chuckled again.
>”Pardon me, but I would have to look it up in the registry to answer that. But you have my word that I will do so as soon as I am able to.”
>You sighed, more in slight disappointment than relief.
>”We really should not be discussing unsolicited visits to your planet. There are more pressing matters I’m afraid.”
>You raised an eyebrow.
“What could you hope to gain from us? Compared to all of this we’re pretty underdeveloped.”
>”That is true, but it has been brought to my attention that one of your crew members does not function as a natural human.”
“Are you talking about Twilight?”
>”Yes, I believe that is her name. When I contacted you, your reactions was not what I had expected, but it was the only interface we were compatible with. We believed that was your natural way of communicating.”
“No, that isn’t the case here…”
>”Would you care to explain?”
>Asakitt motioned towards a corridor leading further into the station, away from the ravine.
>You walked over to his side and he lead you down the path.
>It seemed like an abandoned section, and the walls were absent of any doors or arches leading to other rooms.
>You found comfort by brushing it off as being the same types of doors as Asakitt had entered through, seeming like they were at one with the walls.
“Well,” you continued. “We were investigating gravitational anomalies on a planet when her group came across ancient ruins. Their report stated that the crystal in question was floating on an altar before the chamber suffered an explosion. Twilight was apparently struck through the chest and survived. Humans can’t live without a heart, but it seems like the crystal is keeping her present even without life signs.”
>”I see…” Asakitt mulled.
>He grew quiet, mulling over what you had just told him.
>”It seems she has suffered the fate of an old weapon. I can’t say we are familiar with its origin, but we have sightings of similar ruins. Maybe visiting them will grant you answers.”
>You thought about his suggestion.
>During your travels, all you had come across was nothing but destruction and danger.
>You felt conflicted.
>On one side, you were all primarily scientist, and the pursuit of knowledge should be your primary concern.
>But on the other side, you were only scientists.
>The pursuit of knowledge in this new plane of existence had put your and your crew’s lives in danger so many times during your mission.
>There was also a creeping suspicion that there was more to Asakitt’s suggestion than to save your friend.

“Is this the real reason you brought us here?” you finally said stoically.
>Asakitt seemed confused by your statement as he cocked his head once again.
>”I must have misunderstood you previously. You did not appear in this star system on your own accord?”
>Your slight frown vanished in an instant as he said those words.
>It felt clear to you that this creature acted genuine, though you couldn’t tell if it was due to differing cultural habits or if he was actually speaking the truth.
>But what reason would he have to be lying to you?
“Let me get this clear. You didn’t guide us here with those cryptic coordinates?”
>”I’m afraid I am unfamiliar with what coordinates you speak of. Had we wanted you to come here this soon we would have been quite obvious about it.”
>You fell silent, your mouth half agape.
>Here you stood, certain that you had met those pulling the strings.
>But now, your goal seemed to drift farther away by the second.
>This was quite obviously where you had been guided, and now it became clear to you that this was only another piece of the puzzle.
>”It seems something else is guiding you, and all the evidence points back to your friend Twilight and her condition.”
“Yeah, I think that was pretty clear.”
>”Ah… sarcasm. How amusing!”
>This really didn’t feel like the right time to be making jokes.
>”Do excuse me, we may have an understanding of your language, but your ways are still a mystery to us.”
“What do you suggest?”
>”The ruins I spoke of are still an option.” Asakitt reached for a belt which hung wrapped around his waist and pulled out a clear and shining orb. “Follow it, or blaze your own path forward. It’s up to you I suppose.”
>You reached up and took the orb in your hands.
>Touching it felt like the surface of a still lake, and in your perception you believed your gloves were getting wet.
>When reaching down to dry them off on your suit, there were no sign of them being damp at all.
>Looking into it, the way it refracted the light appeared hypnotizing, as you twisted and turned it around to observe the various paths the light took as it bounced around playfully inside the ball.
>Asakitt chuckled to himself, amused by your reaction to his foreign technology.
>”It is quite a common reaction. If your crystal works the way we predict it, touching it with the orb will give you all the data you need to find the ruins.”
>You stopped rotating the orb and looked at Asakitt with a worried expression.
“Last time we received data from the crystal it knocked Twilight unconscious. I wouldn’t wish more danger on my crew.”
>”Oh, do not worry. If any of you fall ill, return here and we will see to it that you receive proper treatment.”
>You sighed in relief.
>There were no guarantee these people had any remote understanding of your biology, but just the fact that you had any allies out here lifted some weight off your shoulders.
>”Now.” Asakitt announced. “I have some more things I wish to discuss with you.”
>You looked up at Asakitt, who motioned for you to follow him down the corridor again.
>”Have you ever heard of World Eaters?”

>From her perspective, the drop seemed endless, as if it had no bottom at all and just lead out into empty space.
>The countless shapes flinging past her vision didn’t help with the sense of vertigo building inside her either.
>None of them stayed still for long enough to clearly make out their details, but the sheer speed at which they were traveling at enhanced the sense of scale greatly.
>”Twilight!”
>She looked to her left and saw the others standing there, waiting for her.
>Pinkie Pie waved her hand enthusiastically with a wide grin on her face.
>Twilight stood back up, trying her best not to succumb to the swelling feeling of dizziness.
>These bridges really were something.
>All the different types of creatures wandering in pilgrimage across them at all times...
>Something told her that people back home would call them architectural marvels.
>Of course, in all essence this station really was just that.
>At least in a human's limited understanding of the universe.
>She let go of the railing which separated her from the abyss and wandered over to the others.
>”Well?” she asked. “Where should we go first, guys?”
>”It’s not like we know what’s out there…” Applejack said.
>”So why don’t we go find out!”
>And with that, Pinkie Pie blasted off towards the towering silver wall, carelessly disregarding the advice you had attempted to give them previously.
>”Pinkie!”
>”Oh, lighten up farmgirl.” Rainbow Dash walked up and threw a friendly knuckle into Applejack’s shoulder. “I’ll race ya!”
>It didn’t take long before those two had also ripped themselves away from the safe confines of the group.
>”Oh, Anon said to stick together!” Rarity tried shouting after them, but to no avail.
>”Well…” Twilight finally said. “Better keep up then!”
>In a new spark of adventure lust, it didn’t take long for the three scientist to find themselves running down the bridge as well.
>Worry soon turned to giddy as they pursued their friends through crowds of horned, snouted, sticky, dry and strange shapes.

>Eventually, they had reached a small clearing devoid of most of the traffic.
>One by one they burst through the ocean of creatures, desperately trying to regain their breath.
>After finally regaining some amount of their attention span, Twilight started looking around.
>It seemed to be an empty lot, with a few spaces fit for setting up trading posts.
>There was also a large hole in the roof leading up to the second floor, and three walkways spiraling around each other.
>A large white plate was mounted in the ceiling far above, shining warm light down on some strange potted plants littered around the walls.
>It seemed to be a dead end, but the space felt so open and free that it wasn’t at all claustrophobic.
>At the opposite end of the entrance, a lone figure sat on a blanket in silence, seemingly oblivious to the girls’ presence.
>The crew all looked at each other for answers, but one by one they shrugged, uncertain of what to make of it.
>Without warning, Pinkie Pie made her way brashly across the empty space, waving at the creature with an innocent smile plastered across her face.
>”Heya!” she yelled, much to the dismay of the others.
>Reluctantly, they all followed Pinkie Pie, trying their best to make her stop yelling.
>Soon, they found themselves encircled around the creature.
>At first glance, it seemed cat-like, with abnormally large eyes taking up most of his facial features.
>It had a lavender coat covering its entire body, at least what you could see of it.
>It was also wearing what seemed to be an elaborately patterned poncho in striking colors, and to top off the look, a flat headpiece sitting on top of his proportionally large head.
>It didn’t seem to pay attention to its new guests at first, as it looked like it was in a deep state of meditation.
>Its eyes were closed and its legs crossed, with its hands placed firmly on its knees, unmoving and not reacting to any of the girls attempts at communicating.
>”Geez, what a bummer this guy is…” Rainbow Dash said as she sighed in disappointment.
>It hadn’t taken them long to get used to all the strange people wandering the station.
>After having seen so many different alien forms of life in such a short span of time, they eventually grew jaded and it became more and more like visiting a foreign country.
>It also helped that they started thinking of the stations’ residents as just other people with lives of their own.
>Although for some crew members that was easier than others.
>Carefully, Pinkie Pie approached its face with her finger and poked its bony cheek lightly.
>When it didn’t react to even that, she slowly turned to the others, a few tears welling up in the corner of her eyes.
>”Y-you don’t think…” she stuttered. “You don’t think it’s dead? Right?”
>Fluttershy quickly made her way to Pinkie Pie’s side in an attempt to quell her tears, but at this point it was hard to tell.

>”Quechma?” the creature suddenly burst out.
>Synonymously, the entire group backed off five feet and yelled in surprise.
>The creature opened one of its large round eyes, the yellow surface and flat vertical pupil piercing them with its intense stare.
>”Quechma?” it asked again, still keeping its other eye still shut.
>”Q-quechma?” Fluttershy asked back, her voice shaking.
>”Yes. Would you like Quechma?”
>A crushing silence fell on the group as they heard the cat speak their language, although in quite a broken tonality.
>When it didn’t receive a satisfactory response, it visibly sighed and got up on its tiny feet.
>It was revealed that its legs and body seemed quite sprawny compared to its humongous head.
>It also seemed to be wearing nothing but a square piece of cloth to cover up whatever it had between its legs.
>Before they could react to this new fact, the creature turned around and grabbed something from behind it.
>As it turned back, a strange cylinder container was brought before it.
>It slowly put it down and pressed a button at the front.
>Immediately, the lid popped open and smacked against the amber floor.
>Inside it lay eight red orbs of exactly the same size.
>The strange contents made the crew move in slowly to take a closer look, although very carefully.
>Pinkie Pie seemed like she was the most interested, as she almost dipped her head into the crate before she received a swift but admittedly soft paw to her forehead.
>The cold limb gave her quite a shock as she veered off backwards trying to regain balance.
>”A sample. Only for you.”
>With a quick swipe of its claw, the cat dug out a small portion of one of the red orbs and reached out towards Pinkie Pie.
>She looked at it for a moment before taking it between her fingers.
>It was soft like foam, but firm enough to keep its form.
>Before she could do anything rash, Rarity grabbed Pinkie’s arm and presented it before her wrist.
>The band around her arm started furiously calculating something.
>A few moments later, she released it.
>”I detect no poisonous substances. These are all chemicals we are familiar with. I think you should be fine, dear… If you really want to eat it, that is.”
>Fluttershy, who stood right next to Pinkie Pie, seemed to become quite distressed by Rarity’s encouragement.
>”O-oh no, I don’t think you should…”
>Pinkie Pie looked at it for a mere moment, and before Fluttershy could continue, she threw the small clump into her mouth.
>The others observed her carefully as Pinkie took her time to chew the substance, Fluttershy especially as she seemed almost shocked that Pinkie Pie would do something so rash.
>However, it didn’t take long before Pinkie Pie’s face twisted into one of horror and disgust.
>As Pinkie tried her best not to wince too hard, Rarity moved closer to the strange orbs in the container out of curiosity.
>Just then, the merchant reached out another small portion of the peculiar substance.
>”A sample. For pretty lady.”
>Rarity stopped in her tracks for a second before bursting out laughing and waving her hand at the cat.
>”Oh.. My, why if you insist dear.”
>Flattered, she took the sticky stuff between her fingers and immediately seemed to regret it.
>Rarity looked back at the four others who stood piled up, gripping each other to feel safe, and gave them an uncertain smile.
>”Well… Bottom’s up!”
>And with that, Rarity’s sample was gone as well.
>But contrary to Pinkie Pie, Rarity seemed to enjoy it quite a lot.
>The sample disappeared quite quickly, and she turned to the others.
>”My, it’s not that bad! It tastes just like…”
>”Avocadoooo…”
>Rarity was immediately interrupted by Pinkie Pie, who laid rolling around on the floor seemingly in visible pain.
>”I hate avocado.”

>”Ucha gitogjk Quechmar.”
>A strange figure had approached the merchant while the friends were not looking, much to Twilight’s surprise.
>She quickly turned around to have a look at the source of the raspy voice, and soon found herself eye to eye with an otherworldly bi-pedal wolf creature.
>It looked exactly as if someone took a canine and balanced it on its hind legs, except its arms were that of a human, and its head had features of a goat, complete with horns and loosely-hanging ears.
>Its getup consisted of a brown vest which hang loose over his shoulders and a pair of orange pants reaching it only halfway down its backwards ankles.
>Around its waist hang two belts with vibrant colors.
>On top of its head sat a massive orange hat, which could easily conceal its face if it were to tip it slightly forward.
>Its eyes were cold and blue, piercing Twilight with its sharp gaze.
>Eventually, it looked away, waiting for the merchant to complete the transaction.
>”Yer not from around these parts, are ya?” It said with a strikingly accurate southern american accent.
>More out of instinct than anything, Twilight turned around but couldn’t find any support as the rest of the crew had encircled Pinkie Pie who seemed unable to recover from her reeling disgust.
>Unable to respond properly, Twilight only shook her head.
>A smirk developed on the creature’s face as its right arm flipped away the poncho hanging over his torso and placed it on his hip.
>He reached out to receive the strange red orb from the merchant with the other, but Twilight was focused on something else entirely.
>Hanging heavily from one of his belts was a strange leather piece which resembled a holster.
>Inside she could see something shimmering with silver, and a handle with a bent metal part which could fit an index finger around it.
>It was clear to her that it was a pistol of sorts, but she couldn’t be completely sure in this strange place.
>The stranger’s hand hovered ominously close to it at all times, leaving Twilight to believe this person was attempting to threaten her.
>Looking over her shoulder again, Twilight saw her friends still standing in a circle, completely oblivious to her swelling distress.
>She didn’t want to start calling for help either, in case it was just a misunderstanding.
>Surely, her considerate ways would one day be the end of her.
>She swallowed and looked back, only to find herself locked into the ice cold gaze of her new acquaintance again, whose eyes barely peeked under the edge of his hat..

>”Didja know Quechma is a delicacy from the world this guy’s from?” he said in a calm but tense voice, gesturing towards the merchant with his thumb.
>”I-is that so…” Twilight responded, her voice shaking slightly.
>She had started moving back towards the others now, but only incrementally in case the stranger would notice.
>The creatures attention seemed focused on his newly purchased orb as he gripped it tightly between his clawed fingers.
>”It’s a strange thing, really. It’s meant as a gift to someone ya really love…” His piercing blue eyes appeared under the ridge of his hat again, looking deep into  Twilight’s soul. “...Or someone who’s about to die.”
>With a swift and flashy move, he reached out his arm, the smooth crimson ball shimmering in the chamber’s light.
>Carefully, Twilight took it in her arms, feeling the strange texture stick to her suits gloves.
>”I prefer to believe it’s usually the former, but that’s just cus’ I’m a romantic. Reality works differently.”
>As Twilight observed the item in her hands, she noticed how it cracked open and different parts of it bloomed outwards into an otherworldly shape.
>It was almost mesmerising to see all the different parts of what she only thought was a strange food rotate around each other to create various abstract shapes.
>When it stopped moving, it almost resembled a scarlet lotus flower, the petals glistening in the rooms natural lighting.
>Through the corner of her eye she noticed the merchant looking at her in disbelief, completely baffled at what had just transpired in front of him.
>She looked back up to try and find some answers with the stranger, but was shocked to find that he had now gripped the handle of his sidearm tightly.
>His eyes were once again hidden, but a sick grin had spread across his snout, his sharp and bright white teeth fully visible.
>”I had really hoped I wouldn’t need to carry out contracts on such a fine group of pretty women, but times are hard. Do send my apologies to whoever’s in charge in the next realm.”

>As if time had slowed down, Twilight watched as the stranger drew his weapon from the holster.
>She could see every detail on it as it was dragged out of its confines, the shimmering silver-like metal blinking as it reflected the light.
>She could see the strange triangular barrel slowly being directed at her, a strange green glow building inside it, and how the triangular chamber near the back of the cannon started rotating like a classic revolver from back home.
>The green shimmer started intensifying, a pulsating noise emitting from it and becoming stronger by the minute as the stranger lifted his gun higher and higher towards her.
>Twilight, frozen in fear and unable to move, could only stand there and watch as the strangers vicious grin grew wider.
>Even though she was terrified, the situation was more clear to her now than anything had ever been.
>She was going to die.
>Although, she didn’t really want to die.
>She had been here before, hadn’t she?
>Her thoughts went to the crystal stuck in her chest, how she should have actually been dead months ago.
>Twilight had gotten so used to it being there that she didn’t really think of it too much anymore.
>She had these same thoughts as she laid bleeding against the chamber walls as well, watching helplessly as her friends panicked around her.
>She recognized the way memories played out before her like a movie, reliving moments of her life over again, but for some reason most of her thoughts returned to the crystal and not her friends.
>There was so much mystery surrounding it, and she hadn’t even scratched the surface yet.
>She didn’t want to die now!
>There was so much more to do!
>There was no way she would lay down and accept her demise!

>The hammer dropped, and with a surge of power, the energy inside the stranger's hand cannon built to critical levels.
>The rotating mechanism came to a sudden stop, and in an explosion, a green beam raced through the battery, into the barrel and out the muzzle.
>It accelerated to near light speed as it exited the weapon, kicking it back with brutal force which would surely break the wrist of any normal human.
>A sonic shockwave was sent blasting through the room, the mysterious killer lacking any and all subtlety in his methods.
>The gun’s projectile flew through empty space, evaporating any particle it came into contact with.
>The blast tore Twilight out of her panicked state, as she witnessed the beam flinging towards her.
>Survival instincts kicked in, adrenaline started pumping through her veins in an instant.
>Her senses became heightened, energy levels peaking.
>Twilight gained complete awareness of her surroundings.
>She could see every hair on the stranger's hand rippling as he tried to correct the extreme recoil of his weapon.
>She could smell the air turning toxic as the projectile seared through anything in its path.
>She could feel the shock of her friends as they started turning around to see what was happening.
>They couldn’t help her, there was no time to react.
>The merchant was now fully awake, his large eyes staring in shock at the scene which unfolded around him as he reached to protect his wares.
>All this Twilight perceived in just a few milliseconds.
>With no time to think, she instinctively reached out a hand towards the green beam.
>She could feel a surge building in her chest and several points along her arm.
>Her muscles tensed, and she could feel something blasting through her body, an energy completely foreign to her.
>It traveled from her chest and through the points along her arm until it reached her palm.

>Then, everything fell into chaos.
>The projectile struck Twilight’s palm with such force that it sent her flying backwards.
>Through sheer will, she kept her poise and tensed her arm harder, straining herself as much as she could.
>Her feet slid across the smooth floor as the soles scraped against its surface.
>Another blast occurred, this time the projectile had split against whatever force Twilight had conjured, sending splinters flinging through every corner of the room.
>Around her, glass shattered, walls crumbled and everything fell quiet.
>A few seconds passed, and when she opened her eyes, Twilight could see her attacker staring her down, his eyes now burning with fury.
>Wind was being whipped up all around the room, her long purple hair blowing behind her and whipping against her back.
>But it was the source of this power which turned Twilight's skin cold.
>From her hand and in a meters radius around it, a transparent green barrier was projected.
>It seemed to hum with an ancient force, and Twilight could feel the energy surging through her.
>It was like she had instantly gained complete knowledge of how to use it.
>Even though at this point it felt as natural as walking to her, she dared not move from her position in case the connection would break.
>The merchant had already packed up his few belongings and legged it out of the chamber, and from her position she couldn’t see her friends.
>Hopefully they had hid somewhere safe, Twilight thought, and turned her attention back to the stranger.

>The gunman’s vicious smile had now twisted into him furiously grinding his teeth, the stranger’s face now fully visible under his hat.
>He carried a look of both confusion and anger, his gun still smoking from his first shot.
>Twilight had slid several meters backwards from only one bullet, so it spoke volumes of the power he wielded.
>However, Twilight had traveled this far.
>She wasn’t about to be killed of by some hitman.
>Twilight forced herself to think in the moment, deciding that any scientific discoveries had to be made later.
>”What the bloody hell is this? Is this some kinda joke?!” The stranger screamed at her, veins almost visible under his grey coat.
>With a roar, he put the silver cannon up again and the chamber rang with the blast of several shots being furiously slinged towards Twilight.
>Her shield absorbed every projectile, the beams shattering upon crashing with Twilight's impenetrable shield.
>Every time they struck the shield, an alien sound reverberated as the bullets pushed Twilight further back and shattered against the barrier.
>Splinters were sent flying everywhere in a never ending storm of shrapnel destruction as deadly rain of glass shards and sparks covered the empty hall.
>A stray piece flew into the ceiling, crushing the panel and plunging the room into darkness as sparks fell slowly from above like fiery snowflakes.
>In the confusion, twilight noticed some movement in the corner of her eye in her adrenaline-fueled state.
>She had been pushed back several meters again, and now had a good angle at every corner of the room.
>Twilight quickly turned her attention towards the movement and through the dimmed lighting she saw the familiar sight of her friends huddled behind a staircase.
>When she made sure the stranger wasn’t looking, Twilight broke the barrier and made a dash towards the others, just barely sliding behind cover as the emergency lights kicked in.
>They seemed happy to see that she was okay, but still distressed over the situation.
>Twilight quickly put a finger to her mouth, quietly telling them to not make a sound, before peeking back around the corner.

>The stranger seemed to breathe heavily, as if his gun actually tapped into his strength to function.
>Either that or he was enraged beyond belief that his contract was proving to be this much of a fight.
>After a few moments of calming down, he spun the silver piece around his finger a few times and clamped down, directing the barrel upwards.
>With a forceful whip to the side, the gun’s chamber popped out.
>Twilight almost expected bullet casings to fall out, but instead, a powerful tuft of steam shot out at the back of the cylinder.
>It took a few seconds before it subsided and the stranger whipped the chamber back into the gun’s frame again.
>He took some time to reposition his hat and make sure his vest sat on properly before scanning the room with a vigilant eye.
>”Now… Where’d y’all go…?”

>Twilight came back around the corner again and leaned against the wall.
>Looking at her hand, she could feel the surge of power inside her still within reach.
>She sighed in relief and turned towards the group of frightened friends next to her to seek some answers.
>”How do we fight this guy?” Twilight asked as quietly as she could.
>The others looked around at each other, but none spoke up.
>The situation seemed more bleak by the second, until Applejack finally came forward.
>”Yer all gonna hate me for this…” she whispered.
>The engineer reached down her suit through the neck and rummaged around for a bit.
>Twilight curiously watched as her friend struggled, but it became very clear to her once Applejack pulled out a long, polished metal revolver.
>It had beautiful rose engravings along the barrel, and a rotating chamber adorned with streaks of black.
>Its handle was a mix of mahogany wood and tanned leather, and a silver emblem was engraved at the bottom.
>No matter how beautifully detailed the weapon was, Twilight couldn’t help but stare at it in shock.
>The others didn’t seem to grasp the fact that Applejack brought a revolver either, as they stared at it with as much disbelief as Twilight.
>The engineer blushed and tried to hide her shamed expression as her hands fell limp into her lap.
>”It’s a family heirloom…” she said apologetically. “I bring it with me everywhere I can.”
>The friends sat in dead silence and Twilight was uncertain of their next step as she could hear the stranger sneak around the plaza.
>It would only be a matter of time before he found them again, so she decided to save this discussion for another time.
>”I sure hope you know how to use that thing.” the scientist whispered.
>Applejack sighed as a weight appeared to be lifted of her shoulders, then she gave Twilight a nod and spun the empty chamber of her revolver in anticipation.
>”So what’s the plan?” Rainbow Dash wondered.
>Honestly, there wasn’t much of a plan, Twilight thought.
>With this newfound power, she still wasn’t sure what she was capable of or how she was able to do it, but that was for another time.
>She looked around the corner and saw the wolf-like gunslinger jump around a corner and give of a frustrated snarl when he found it to be empty.
>Then a quite risky plan emerged in her head.
>She called upon the energy into her hand again, and watched as it developed into a small green blob, its surface fleeting and unstable like water.
>She closed her eyes and focused, concentrating hard on a shape as she pictured it over and over from every conceivable angle.
>She honed its texture and weight in her head, and revised it several times to ensure perfection, all while directing energy into her palm.
>It took some brainpower, but when Twilight opened her eyes again, six cylinder bullets lay in her hand covered in a green tint.
>She rolled them around and felt their presence, their smooth texture and cold metal heating up against her skin.
>They rattled with the signature metallic ringing, and she could barely hear the gunpowder rustle inside them.
>She made a mental note of this discovery, and handed the six bullets to Applejack.
>Without hesitating, she flicked out the chamber and swiftly plopped them into place.
>Twilight delighted over how they fit perfectly, mentally patting herself on the shoulder.
>She peeked back around the corner and saw the stranger now making his way to your hiding spot with a watchful eye.
>Then she instructed the others to hide on the other side of the column.
>Twilight and Applejack squeezed together in the shade, trying their best to remain hidden.
>And then they waited.

>The two tried their best to calm their breathing, forcing themselves to inhale and exhale slowly against their adrenaline-filled heart’s protests.
>With instinctively enhanced senses, Twilight listened for their attackers footsteps against the cold amber floor.
>It wasn’t too difficult to locate him as every step he took made his belts ring like metal chains as they crashed against each other.
>His powerful weapon hummed in a low frequency, the charged chamber still ready to obliterate anything its wielder desired.
>Twilight was also prepared, keeping an open channel from her energy source to her fist, ready to react to anything.
>She could hardly keep still as her eyes darted around trying to soak up any information they could find.
>In all her years she had never felt this alert or scared.
>Sure, she had felt the looming threat of death before, but it was something else being threatened by a living thing.
>If only she could discover his motivations, maybe she could find a diplomatic way out.
>At this point, however, she wasn’t actually against the idea of killing someone if it meant her survival.

>The outlaw approached the second pillar while keeping a watchful eye on the others.
>He always finished his contracts, and wasn’t about to make an exception today.
>If only they had opened up on that the Fulcrum was really able to do.
>The purple-haired lady didn’t seem to know that either, so it shouldn’t pose too big of a hindrance.
>He’d be sure to give his contractors a piece of his mind when he returned at least.
>He flicked his gun forward and swung around the corner, ready to strike.
>Empty.
>”Damn.” he said to himself behind gritted teeth as he turned around again, making sure they didn’t move around without him knowing.
>The stranger tugged his vest back into place and continued on his path.
>At this pace, it shouldn’t be long before he could collect his bounty.
>The last column was just a few paces ahead, painted crimson by the emergency lighting.
>He looked at his firearm, inspecting it and making sure it was ready to do his bidding.
>The chamber still glowed aggressively with a green hue, pulsating with a force matched only by few.
>Sadly, the Fulcrum had to be one of those few.
>Swiftly, the gunslinger positioned himself with his back against the cold pillar and went quiet, listening for any signs of life around the corner.
>A few moments pass by and not a trace of activity can be sensed.
>He can feel presence, but from where, he was uncertain.
>He mentally prepared himself for what he was about to do and gripped the handle of his weapon tightly.
>Suddenly, two figures appeared from around the corner, an energy barrier separating the pair from the surprised stranger.
>Applejack squeezed the trigger of her trusty six-shooter, and the hammer slammed down against the casing, igniting the gunpowder and flinging the small bullet out of the barrel.
>For a split second, Twilight lowered the barrier, allowing the bullet to pass through at blinding speeds before raising it again instantly.
>With only a short time to react, the stranger instinctively threw himself away from the bullet trajectory, transitioning into a desperate swan dive as far away from the pillar as possible.
>The bullet barely grazed him as it pierced a hole in his hat and crashed into the wall opposite of them.
>Twilight lowered the barrier again and another shot was fired.
>This one bounced off the floor a few millimeters from the stranger's foot, ricocheting across the chamber and shattering a glass panel somewhere.
>A final shot was made before the gunslinger ducked behind cover, ripping off the tip of his poncho and smashed into a light, sending sparks flying across the room.
>Twilight and Applejack made for cover again, just in time for a green blast to sear off the edge of the pillar next to them and lodge itself in the nearby wall where the heated slug rotated furiously for a few seconds before coming to a stop.
>For half a minute straight, Applejack and the outlaw exchanged shots, emerging from their cover to sling bullets before ducking back and waiting for the counterpart to finish their own flurry of projectiles.
>After a while, the room went silent, and only Applejack’s tired breathing could be heard next to Twilight’s.
>On the other end, the sound of steam being released could be heard.
>”Why are you doing this?” Twilight shouted around the corner.
>He already knew their position, so there was no point in playing it stealthy anymore.
>”Somebody wants y’all dead.” she could hear around the corner. “I’m just the middleman.”
>Twilight looked at Applejack in confusion, but she only received a reflection of her own emotions.
>Twilight tried to think back to their experiences up to this point, and even if she didn’t want to, she could find numerous things which could piss someone off.
>From scorching a frozen planet to stealing an old crystal now stuck in her chest, maybe their adventures had been a little reckless prior to this point.
>”Why won’t they just confront us themselves?” Twilight asked, six new blobs or energy slowly forming in her hand.
>A few moments pass by, and Twilight was able to create a whole new magazine for Applejack before receiving an answer.
>”Look, I just get orders, ‘aight? The galaxy’s a rough place, this is just how it has to be.”
>A green ray blasted through the corner of the column, melting away a small hole before joining its predecessors in the wall opposite of them.
>”If you’re so hellbent on killin’ us, what does it matter to you if we know their names?” Applejack shouted back, popping the chamber back in and pulling back the hammer on her hand cannon.
>She placed the barrel into the newly created hole and took aim right above the strangers cover.
>She stood perfectly still, holding the barrel steady.
>Nothing seemed to happen for a bit, until the outlaw finally spoke up again.
>”They call themselves Xenos. I don't know anythin’ about ‘em other than that.” he said hesitantly.

>A crushing silence sweeps the hall.
>The outlaw crouching behind his small cover listened intensely for any activity on the other side of the battlefield.
>Shattered glass-like shards lay sprawled across the smooth floor, reflecting the pulsating emergency light around the punctured walls.
>Dozens of bullet craters littered almost every surface in the vicinity, clearly indicating the struggle which had taken place.
>The stranger pulled up his arm, looking down at a wrist mounted chronometer strapped around his wrist.
>A growing nervous tingle swelled up in his bowels as he saw his deadline drawing closer.
>Failing a contract of this caliber would have serious ramifications on his career.
>If he didn’t hurry up, authorities might find their way to the crime scene as well, which would add yet another layer of complications to his already crumbling plan.
>He quietly scolded himself for trying to be such a romanticist, noting to himself never to be so careless in the future.
>He gripped his gun tightly, feeling the slight vibrations shaking his hand as the weapon shuddered in anticipation.
>With time running out, his brain started working hard on a solution to his little problem.
>The Xenos had told him that acquiring the Fulcrum shouldn’t be harder than ripping it out, but with the women’s protective suits it was hard to find out exactly where it was.
>The original plan was to kill the vessel and take it before the others noticed, but they had put up more of a fight than anticipated.
>It was clear that he had to get in close, but that was currently the biggest problem.
>Just then, an idea popped into his head.
>He winced at the thought, as it was quite a cruel plan.
>But, if it had to be this way, then it seemed to be the only logical way to go about this.

>”Look, they didn’t really tell me a whole bunch about this contract.” the stranger shouted around his cover. “I don’t know what you’ve done, but y’all don’t really look like criminals to me.”
>Twilight looked up at Applejack, who seemed unwavering with her sight locked onto the top of the outlaws hat, prepared for any movement  which could land her a shot.
>”We don’t really know anything about these Xenos, but if we angered them we would be ready to settle things in a different way!”
>Twilight’s voice reverberated against the chamber walls, slowly disappearing into nothingness.
>She received no response at first, the other side having seemingly gone silent.
>The scientist raised a hand against Applejack’s leg, making her stand down with her weapon.

>He couldn’t believe his own ears!
>The bitch had just opened up a golden opportunity for him.
>They really didn’t know anything about how things worked around here, he thought, and the stranger wasn’t about to let this slip through his fingers.
>He flipped his weapon and effortlessly slipped it back into his holster, feeling it slowly calm down against his leg.
>”Maybe another time, amigo.” he whispered.
>He slowly peeked over the knee-high wall, searching for any sign of hostility.
>Instead, he found his target looking around her cover equally curious.
>He mentally patted himself on the back, convincing himself everything was going to be fine, before getting up on his feet with both of his arms raised.
>This was either incredibly stupid, or incredibly smart.
>Good thing luck favored him today, he thought to himself, as the two women also rounded the corner, carefully stepping forward.
>It didn’t seem like they suspected anything.
>The gunslinger waited patiently for the two travelers to make their way across the glossy floor.
>He noticed the blond one was carrying a peculiar shimmering firearm akin to his own, but with a strange thin barrel instead.
>He pondered the mechanisms of this strange device, but he didn’t have all the time in the world.
>Twilight and Applejack soon stood face to face with their attacker, staring him down suspiciously.
>The purple-haired one kept darting her eyes around the room, and all too often landed a gaze onto his beloved weapon.
>Her friend still gripped hard onto her piece, a piercing stare fixated on him and absorbing every small move he made.
>The stranger crossed his arms, trying to keep them as far away from his weapon as he could.
>”I’ll be honest…” he said after a while. “I was against acceptin’ the contract at first. I dunno what y’all did, but it sure pissed off my client pretty bad. They paid well, and desperate times calls for some unconventional jobs.”
>The two didn’t move their eyes one bit, and seemed wholly unfazed by his attempt to appeal to their empathy.
>When he didn’t elicit any response, the stranger cleared his throat and adjusted his hat.
>”I can’t say how willin’ these guys are for conversation, but I’m convinced there might be some misunderstandings here.”
>The pair stood just as still.
>It felt like he spoke to a wall, and he clenched his fist trying not to lunge out and punch them in their stupid faces.

>In truth, Twilight was quite frightened.
>She stood face to face with the person who tried to kill her, and although she had a growing faith in her newfound abilities, she wasn’t certain they could protect her from everything.
>At least not until she had done extensive research on it.
>She could feel Applejacks heavy breath on her neck, and the creaking og her glove as she held fast to her loaded pistol.
>If they truly could solve things peacefully, she couldn’t help but wonder why they had ordered their execution in the first place.
>It all smelled fishy, but she was bound by an oath not to use violence as a means to an end.
>The two stared down the gunslinger, waiting for his next move, frankly too scared to speak up.
>”I’m sure y’all don’t know how it works around here. The galaxy is a wild frontier, lawless where the Concord don’t have their iron grip firmly rooted in their systems.” he said, moving his hand towards his hip.
>Instinctively, Applejack flicked her gun towards him, her finger ready on the trigger.
>The stranger stopped in his tracks and looked at the engineer in surprise.
>Slowly, he continued moving his hand past the gun holster and into a pocket hanging from his belt.
>From it he procured a long roll of a cloth-like texture and put it in his mouth between his sharp fangs.
>With a quick swipe of his claw against the fabric, he conjured some sparks which lit the opposite end of it.
>Twilight and Applejack watched as the smoldering embers ate through the cloth, turning it to ash in its wake.
>After a moment of silence he picked it up between his thumb and index finger and flicked off the scorched tip, sending sparks flying across the floor.
>A tuft of black smoke rose from the stranger's lips as he appeared to lower his tense shoulders, and he turned his attention back to the girls.
>”Us lowly folks have to make do with what we can get our hand on. In my case, it’s killin’ criminals.”
>Applejack lowered her weapon and seemed insulted by his statement.
>”Excuse you mister, but we ain't no lowlife criminals!” she said.
>The stranger seemed unfazed by her statement, taking another drag of his strange cigar.
>”I never said you were...” he answered as he flicked another speck of ash onto the floor. “...But somebody does. I usually only accept contracts if the target deserves it, but I’ve had some… financial issues lately, and you’ve got a pretty hefty price on your heads.”
>Twilight’s head started racing again, revisiting all the times she suspected they did something to deserve this.
>Being that she didn’t even know who the contractors were, it was hard to reach a conclusion.
>”Tell ya what. If purple-locks here comes with me, I’ll arrange a meeting and y’all can talk it out or whatever it is you guys do. I’ll receive my compensation and we can all be on our way, hmm?”
>”Hey, nice try, but…”
>Twilight cut off Applejack before she could continue.
>”It’s fine, AJ, I can handle myself. Let’s just see what they want and get off this station.”
>The engineer looked at her friend, befuddled that she could agree to something like this.
>She grabbed her by the shoulder and pulled her aside.
>”Twi, I really don’t think this guy’s tellin’ the truth…”
>”I know that, but I don’t think we have a choice. The oath we took when we assigned to this mission clearly states…”
>”I don’t give a flamin’ cockatrice turd about the damn oath, Twi! I care about you not dyin’!”
>Twilight grabbed both of Applejack’s shoulders and looked her deep in the eyes.
>”You have to trust me.” she said, mustering up all the confidence she could.
>Despite her best efforts, her voice still sounded shaky, but she kept her posture.
>”I’ll be fine.”
>After a moment, Applejack sighed and reluctantly let go of her friend.
>She knew that when Twilight had decided on something, swaying her choice would be like shaking the pillars of the earth itself.
>She stood by and watched as Twilight approached the stranger.
>She appeared confident in her stride, but deep down she knew that her friend shared her anxiety.
>’Oh, Anon…’, she prayed in her head.
>’Where are you when we need you.’

>Once again, Twilight stood face to face with the stranger, observing as he unenthusiastically inhaled the fumes of his cigar.
>Thick plumes of smoke fell like a waterfall through his teeth and towards the floor, and Twilight could smell the horrid chemicals as they punctured her senses.
>It was like sticking your nose into a burning bush covered in boiling paint.
>As she tried to ignore it, she could feel sparks ignite in her fists, but she focused on keeping the energy contained.
>The stranger flicked the remaining stub of his addiction away, watching as it shattered into a dozen smaller glowing dots against the floor.
>He then tugged his hat, making sure it sat correctly.
>”This way.” he said, motioning towards the exit of the hall where the now empty main hallway of the station was.
>After waiting a few moments with no response, the stranger sighed and started walking ahead.
>Looking back, Twilight saw the worried faces of her friends.
>She gave them a weak smile before turning away, forcing herself to keep going.
>Deep down she knew this was madness, but she knew she wasn’t completely helpless.
>The pulsating warmth of the crystal in her chest gave her a slight feeling of confidence, and with her head held high, she marched after the stranger.
>She wasn’t about to die like this if she had any say in the matter.
>Eventually they stood below the arch leading to the once busy main hallway.
>The stranger darted his eyes around the dark corridor, searching for any signs of movement.
>”What’s with the caution?” wondered Twilight as she looked at him suspiciously.
>”Uhm…” he replied, appearing as if he was distracted by something distant. “I ain’t exactly on good terms with the Peacekeepers in this quadrant.”
>Twilight scoffed.
>At least he wasn’t treating her like his prisoner.

>Why the security hadn’t flooded this area yet befuddled the stranger as he scanned the area.
>In fact, something told him they actively avoided his arrest.
>With the agility of a snake, he leaped from the archway and slithered behind a pillar against the corridor wall.
>he peeked around the corner, and when he didn’t find what he was looking for, he turned back around and saw his side was empty.
>Further back, his target stood leaning casually against the arch, looking at him with a mocking sight.
>He clenched his fist, resisting all the urges flooding to him telling him to just shoot her right then and there.
>In a quick motion, he waved Twilight over, and she reluctantly stood up and walked over to his side.
>”This is pretty unnecessary…” she pointed out, crossing her arms.
>”Maybe if you kept quiet for one goddamn…”
>”I’m not the outlaw here.”
>”Twilight?”
>The distant voice made both Twilight and the stranger look up in shock towards the source.

>Around the bend of the corridor, through the crimson light, came a man and another four-legged creature sprinting towards them.
>The stranger could feel his stomach drop as he saw them, his eyes darting desperately around for a way out.
>Twilight had other ideas, however, as she instantly recognized the two approaching characters.
>”Anon!” she shouted, waving her arm enthusiastically with a dumb smile on her face.
>The short bipedal creature waved back, his speed increasing as he approached them.
>The gunslinger, however, recognized the other one quite easily.
>He quickly came to the conclusion that there was only one way out of this.
>”Goddamn this…” he said, his hand not so gracefully reaching down to his side and drawing his powerful weapon in one quick motion.
>Twilight wasn’t too distracted by seeing her friend again to not notice this, though.
>As the stranger swung his barrel around to meet Twilight, she instinctively shouted a warning to her friend.
>In a matter of seconds, the corridor lit up with gunfire, bullets bouncing aimlessly around and crashing into the walls with deadly force.
>When the flashes finally subsided, both Twilight and the gunslinger had disappeared from view, a large hole torn out of a wall being the only thing left from where they stood.

>You lowered your hands when you decided it was safe enough.
>It wasn’t that you thought your feeble human arms could protect you against whatever power that guy wielded, but instincts are instincts.
>You looked around, scanning the area for any signs of Twilight but unable to find her.
>With Asakitt at your heels, you made your way to the chamber archway and looked through the newly made breach in the hallway walls.
>It was like someone had fired a massive heat beam which had melted through the station hull.
>You stood there in confusion, unable to comprehend what had just taken place.
>Across the floor of the large chamber to your left came five humanoid shapes dashing towards you.
>Relieved to see the rest of your crew safe, you greeted them with a relieved sigh.
>”Where’s Twilight?” asked Rarity, her face twisted i concern.
>You reflected her emotion, but stumbled after your words.
“She just… disappeared…”

>The bullet smashed hard against her conjured shield, knocking her further back against the cold floor.
>She dismissed the protective field and sprinted towards the gunslinger who stood on the other side of the bridge.
>He fired another shot, Twilight nimbly dodging it as it whizzed past her head.
>She reached the stranger, charging up her fist and slamming it into him.
>The force was crushing against him, blasting the gunslinger into a wall behind him.
>As he tried to recover, he felt something grab a hold of his left arm.
>Before he could react, he was already several feet into the air.
>His body had been tossed clean across the ravine of the station in an impressive display of strength.
>As he flailed uncontrollably through the air, his foot clipped the edge of a balcony railing five floors above where he last was, and he flew several feet further before crashing into the floor and sliding against it into a hallway.
>Using his momentum, he quickly recovered back to his feet.
>The stranger wasted no time in readying his firearm.
>When Twilight finally appeared down the hallway in a flash of light, he shot three rounds in rapid succession.
>Twilight barely had time to react, raising another energy barrier just as the first round shattered against it.
>Two more quickly followed, and she could feel herself growing more fatigued with every strike to the barrier.
>She wasn’t too surprised by this discovery, as she had already concluded that the crystal in her chest, the source of this incredible new power, also was the reason she was still alive.
>Twilight looked up and was immediately met with a fourth and fifth round.
>They bounced off spectacularly, crashing into the nearby walls and sending colorful sparks flying across the floor.
Again, she lowered her barrier and set off on a mad dash to reach the outlaw.
>Twilight wasn’t skilled in hand to hand combat, so rush tactics were the only crutch she had at this point.
>A bullet flew past her again and she could feel its high-pitched whoosh ripple against her skin.
>She conjured a small plate of energy around her wrist and blocked another projectile, knocking it straight into the floor as she jumped above the small crater it had made.
>When she landed, Twilight found herself losing her footing against the smooth floor, stumbling forward.
>In a lightning-fast decision, Twilight twisted her foot around, sending her careening off to her side.
>She lifted her other leg and gathered all the energy she could muster in her foot.
>Before the outlaw could react, Twilight’s leg came crashing down upon him.
>Instinctively, he raised his gun against her, the barrel humming with an overcharged shot.
>With all his speed he pulled the trigger, the bullet launching up against Twilight’s strike.
>For a few moments, it felt like time slowed to a crawl, as the energy field slammed down against the bullet.
>The impact covered the corridor in a blinding light, and then everything went silent.

>”I would strongly advise against entering that area, Anon.” Asakitt stared into the hole in the wall with just as much confusion as you.
>Through it you could see complicated machinery that had been cut clean through.
>It was hard to discern what was on the other side, but one thing you were certain of was the absence of Twilight and her associate.
>With a sigh you stood up and looked at your friends, their faces reflecting your worry.
“What even happened just now…” you said, still not quite grasping the situation.
>Nobody spoke up, so you turned to Asakitt, who seemed deep in thought.
>He kept staring at the red hot crater in the wall, the metal still dripping down on the amber floor like volcanic syrup.
>”I see…” he finally said, stroking his facial hair.
>He then turned his attention to you, and even though reading the emotions of an extraterrestrial being didn’t come naturally to you, it was clear that he expressed great sorrow.
>”It pains me to say this.” he said, his words not coming easily to him. “Your friend’s condition seems to be worsening.”
“What do you mean?” you asked, feeling your stomach drop.
>”This stone she possesses. We called it a Fulcrum. We thought we had destroyed or deactivated them all, but I suppose we were wrong.”
“You suppose?” you said, feeling a drop of frustration grow inside of you.
>”There was a reason we tried to get rid of them all. You see, a Fulcrum was a weapon used to turn soldiers into living killing machines with unimaginable powers. It seems your friend Twilight has discovered how to tap into its power source. If we can’t stop it, surely the Fulcrum will eat her alive.”
>You expected to be more shocked at this revelation, but in truth, you had a feeling that this would be the case.
>Having a stone replace your heart shouldn’t have become the commonplace that it had, and you started silently scolding yourself for not dealing with the issue properly.
>Now it felt like due to you trivializing it, you had failed to see the consequences it would have.
>But it was your job to keep your crew safe and bring them home safely, and that was exactly what you planned to do.
“What can I do?” you asked Asakitt, determination resonating in your voice.
>”If you wish to save her, I believe that the coordinates I have provided you, that and your wits, are your only options.”
>You nodded and turned around.
>Your friends stood there, having heard it all.
>They showed concern as well, but none of them were ready to give up on Twilight.
>It was finally time to take action and not stand idly by and observe the universe go along its course.
“Let’s go.” you said firmly, and the crew nodded.

>Just as you took a step towards the end of the corridor, The left wall burst out in a spectacular explosion.
>Through the newly made hole, a figure came flying and struck the opposite wall, falling limp onto the floor.
>Through the smoke it was hard to make out who it was as it tried to get up in its weakened state.
>A powerful gust washed over you as you covered your eyes, shielding yourself from the dust which slowly drained away from the scene.
>As the smoke dissipated, you peeked over your arms, and what you saw both frightened and amazed you.
>Appearing from the crater came Twilight, seemingly hovering in mid air with a strange distorting pulse emanating from her waist.
>Her hair looked to have a will on its own as it lashed out behind her in reaction to this newfound power, and in her chest sat the Fulcrum, harrowingly glowing in a sinister green light.
>It seemed to have seared right through the fabric of her suit, now fully blotted through the burnt suit.
>”Such a terrible sight…” said Asakitt under his breath. “To see death walk among us once again.”
>All you could do was observe as this strange alien creature raised his weapon in despair.
>He seemed to be bleeding heavily from his side, but his face was twisted in anger.
>With a final pull of his trigger, the last bullet he had blasted off towards the scientist.
>With inhuman reflexes, Twilight raised her palm, and suspended the projectile in front of her.
>The two opposing forces sent shockwaves through the station and you could feel the ground rumble beneath you.
>When the light disappeared around the bullet, you could see it still spinning, a tuft of smoke rising from its metal body.
>With a sigh, the stranger’s arm fell limp against the floor.
>His anger seemed all but gone now, replaced by a neutral expression and glossy eyes.
>The corridor fell silent as the only sound which could be heard was the bullet leaving suspension and hitting the ground with an empty metallic ring.
>Twilight also seemed to catch up to her own reality, breathing heavily as if she had just recovered from exhausting physical strain.
>Carefully she approached her opponent, but all he did was lie still and look at her, his face seeming almost peaceful and tranquil like.
>She kicked his gun out of his reach before squatting next to him.
>”You weren’t gonna… let us talk to your contractors… were you?” Twilight asked as she tried to catch her breath.
>The stranger only answered in a weak laugh before wincing in pain and grabbing his side.
>Most of the bleeding had stopped, but his vest was drained in the warm crimson life essence.
>”It’s that obvious, huh?” he said with a smug grin. “It’s still a harsh place out here. I’d say you’re more than prepared though.”
>Twilight sat next to her attacker for a few moments as if she struggled to plan her next step.
>Eventually she got up, and without a second look at the stranger, walked towards where you and the rest of the crew stood dumbfounded by what had just taken place.
>”Hey, miss magician.”
>The scientist abruptly stopped and turned halfway around.
>She met the gunslingers eyes, which for once seemed convincingly serious.
>”I need to ask you a favor. I’m pretty much doomed to rot in a cell at this point, so I don’t want you to do this for me.”
>He paused for a second, and when Twilight didn’t walk away, he sighed and rolled over on his side.
>”It’s my son. Can you make sure he’s doin’ alright? You don’t need to promise me, but if you’re interested, he lives on Yola 4. Ask for Daina, you’ll find ‘em.”
>Without acknowledging his request, Twilight just turned away and kept walking, leaving her opponent bloodied and beaten in a rubble.

>The scientist approached you and the crew, but none seemed to ecstatic over your reunion.
>At first glance, Twilight seemed like she hadn't slept for days, and you could only speculate about the cause.
>Still, it was pretty obvious it had something to do with this Fulcrum.
>Applejack, Rarity and the others stood huddled up in a group, not daring to say anything after what they had witnessed.
>It didn’t go unnoticed by Twilight either, as she seemed quite embarrassed over the display she had put on.
>It was also the first time you had seen her act like this about the crystal, seeing as she had seemed quite excited about it before.
>Now only dread surrounded it as she had fully realized what she was capable of.
>”How do I get rid of this?” She finally said, not able to look anyone in the eyes.
“Twilight…”
>”This isn’t a toy Anon, it’s something much worse. We have to destroy this thing.”
>Next to you, Asakitt approached your distressed friend, putting a gentle but firm hand on her shoulder.
>She looked up at him, and was met with a reassuring smile.
>”I have no doubt that you will find a way out of this.”
>His deep voice felt calming, like a grandfather telling stories by the fireplace.
“I have coordinates to a place which might help us.” you told her hopefully. “I promise you we’ll fix this!”
>”Yeah, Twi, we’re not giving up on you!”
>”Oh, you guys…”
>One by one the girls approached Twilight and embraced her.
>As they piled onto each other, you noticed how the green light from the Fulcrum slowly faded and returned to the empty, lifeless husk it used to be.
>With a relieved sigh, you faced Asakitt, who seemed to observe the crew curiously.
“I can’t thank you enough for the help, Asakitt.” you said, reaching out your hand.
>The beast only dismissed it, shaking his head.
>”Don’t thank me yet, human. You still have a long way to go, and the darkness yields for no one.”
>You tried to make eye contact, uncertain of what emotion he was expressing.
>When this proved to be futile, you lowered your hand.
“Still, you’ve helped us this much. I can only give you my gratitude.”
>He nodded, still appearing to be deep in thought.
>”I have to ask you something.”
>Twilight appeared next to you, speaking in a serious tone.
>Asakitt diverted his attention, looking down at her from his towering posture.
>”I have to know where Yolda 4 is.”
>”Ahh yes!” he answered almost immediately. “I was wanting to speak to you about this, Anon. We have been scanning your ship and believe we have an understanding of your computer architecture. I will see to it that you get a copy of our maps if you need it.”
>”And what will you do with him?”
>Twilight motioned towards the stranger, but Asakitt only looked back at her with confusion.
>She noticed this, and upon looking back at the stranger, he was gone.
>The pile of twisted metal held nothing but the whisper of battle and a bed of empty shells left behind by the stranger's hungry weapon.
>Twilight turned back, equally as confused, but was met with the reassuring gaze of Asakitt.
>”Worry not. Hasan is a regular here. I’ve dispatched every remaining Peacekeeper to sweep the station. I’ll personally make sure he answers for all he’s done.”
>Hasan?
>All this time and Twilight didn’t think to even ask what his name was.
>She looked at the towering creature and thought she saw something reminiscent of a wink, but she couldn’t quite make it out.

>Having bid farewell to Asakitt and his crew of mechanics, who you had mistaken for scavenging your ship for spare parts, the Excalibur undocked from The Concord and raised her sails.
>You could swear that the ship handled differently now, but it wasn’t initially clear what had changed, or if something had changed at all.
>The mechanics, who all looked like greased up giant apes, had done something at least.
>Asakitt had reassured you that the changes would only benefit you.
>To be honest, you didn’t quite know how to feel about strangers messing with agency equipment, however there was nothing you could do about that now.
>Excalibur silently slipped out of the dock and was left to her own engine power for the rest of the transit towards the warp point.

>”Anon?”
>Twilight appeared in the doorway to your office.
>Through your window you had stared at the giant space station until it was swallowed by the starlight, and even then you kept looking.
>A whole new world had been revealed before your eyes in the span of a couple of hours, and the new map you had been gifted made it even more apparent that loneliness were the least of your concerns in the universe.
>You ripped your eyes away from the vista and turned your attention to your friend.
“What’s the matter?” you said softly, inviting her into the small cubicle.
>Twilight wasted no time in grabbing your favorite recliner and dumping her limp, exhausted body into its cushions.
>She took some time soaking in the relaxing atmosphere of the ship, something she felt she had taken for granted previously.
>Her content smile soon vanished, replaced by an empty stare into the metallic roof.
>Eventually, she sat up straight and looked you in the eyes.
>”Back there…” she said and paused to collect her thoughts. “I felt like I lost control. The things I could do… The rush was unlike anything I had felt before.”
>She sighed when you didn’t muster up a response.
>”You weren’t scared, were you? Of me?”
>In truth, you were quite scared, although it wasn’t fear of her.
>It was more fear for her.
>You had witnessed a side of her personality which you had never seen before.
>It scared you to think about what she was capable of with the Fulcrum lodged inside her like that.
>You weren’t even sure if this was her or if it was the crystal showing its true colors.
>When you didn’t answer her, Twilight looked away in shame, the relic which once had been the center of her research now being the subject of great embarrassment.
>”Do you plan on going to Yolda 4?” you asked in an effort to change the subject.
>She shook her head, the cascade of purple locks rolling over her shoulders and covering her face.
>”Hasan managed to escape. If he really cares about his son, I think he’d go see him on his own.”
>You nodded, and the room fell silent.
“Sooo…” you said after a while.
>”Yes, Anon, we’ll go to this ‘Newhaven’ you never kept quiet about…”
>You sighed in relief, half expecting her to insist on seeing her assailant's son.
>Maybe Twilight was just as worried about her condition as you were, but it was honestly hard to tell.
>At times, she could be quite reclusive of her thoughts and feelings, but that didn’t matter anymore.
>You let Twilight stay in your office for as long as she wanted, and eventually she left to get some rest.
>You sat down with your newly acquired map which really was just a strange crystalline orb sitting on your desk.
>Its data had already been transferred to a readable format on your computer, however, so for now it was just a trophy of your achievements as an explorer and diplomat.
>Looking through the files, you pulled up everything you had on the destination and cast it onto the futuristic, holographic equivalent of a corkboard which floated in the middle of the room.

>Newhaven.
>Supposedly it had been a weapons research facility right before the wars started.
>It was now abandoned, but the people behind it left all sorts of documentation intact.
>There had also been some strange gravitational anomalies detected there recently, which you immediately connected to those giant planet-eating machines.
>Either way, this quickly started turning into a race against time.
>You hated stressing, but for your friends you would go to any length.
>If that length was across the stars, then so be it.
>You had the means to travel wherever you wanted, see things you could never dream of.
>You would have given all of this up if it meant the safety of those you cared about.
>Part of you wanted to go back home to ensure the safety of your crew against this harsh reality you found out here.
>But you knew everyone would protest and insist the mission run its course.
>After all, HQ had told you that the mission comes first unless you were in mortal danger.
>And so, you would press on.
>”Coordinates set for Newhaven, Anon.” your comms chimed with its characteristic screeching filter. “Are you certain about this?”
“Of course I’m sure, Rarity. Why wouldn’t I be?”
>”I feel like we won’t be coming back from this. Just a gut feeling.”
“As long as we stick together, we have nothing to lose. Activate the warp with maximum velocity.”
>”Aye.” Rarity answered after a second of pause.
>It didn’t take long before you heard the machinery across the ship come to life, pumping fuel, combusting, converting, rotating and whatever else it did.
>Once more, with a thunderous crack of energy, the interstellar arrow that was Excalibur shot of against its next target with haste.
>This time, it was personal.