Interstellar Celly (Part 1)

>You are Anon, and you are in a good mood
>Your latest delivery job went off without a hitch
>No disasters to speak of, just the way you like it
>The soft purr of your crafts engine soothes your mind as you pull into a slow glide over the approaching landscape
>You like your job
>Others don't
>They would say your life is unfulfilled, that you should be out experiencing the universe in all it's glory
>You remember the voices of those you used to call your friends
>"Anon, you can't live like this!"
>"This isn't healthy."
>Healthy
>That's the word that stuck with you the most
>You aren't healthy, and you need to be fixed
>Fuck em, their loss
>You feel the hull of your vessel shudder as you near the surface

>You live in a quiet area, away from the hustle of interplanetary trade routes and shipping lanes
>You have neighbors you can trust and a home that always welcomes you with a smile
>Not literally of course, unless you count the strange faces you've started seeing on your kitchen appliances as smiles
>They usually frown at you anyway
>With a smooth sweep of your control stick you bring your little courier down to land
>Barely scrapping passed the telephone cables on the way down
>Hopefully you'll get optics soon, those old cables were beginning to annoy you
>A minor complaint in a life you generally considered perfect
>With a final clunk your small spacecraft settles on it's legs, allowing you a safe exit out the front
>From there it was a short walk up your garden path to the white front door
>The door matched the rest of the house, a perfect white which never failed to please you
>You are about to press your holokey to the lock when a disturbance three doors down causes you to stop
>Casually, you lean away from you door for a better look
>At first it's not clear what it is, all you can see is a large amount of stacked boxes piled in a rather decrepit patch of dirt
>The pile keeps getting larger as the containers are unloaded from the cargo transport parked nearby, you're surprised you didn't notice that earlier, given it's size
>Curiously, none of the boxes look particularly well kept
>Most of them are formed from cardboard, which you were told was made from trees on earth
>You'd seen pictures of those, but never in person
>The edges of the boxes were tattered and split, stains of many colors faded into their surface
>If it weren't for the fact that the were being unloaded rather carefully you would have assumed they were simply dumped by a waste disposal company
>You watched in fascination as a pair of men struggled to unload a rather large container
>It was different from the others, just as beaten and worn, but it seemed like it was designed to keep something alive
>What?
>You had no idea...

>Slowly, you slip your key back into your pocket and make you way over to the men, who have since set down the odd container
>You call out to them, getting the attention you desire
"Hey uh, what's going on here? You know you can't just dump stuff wherever, right?"
>The two share a glance before straightening up
>"We ain't dumping this crap, we just got told to leave it here, I guess someone's gonna pick it up."
>Your attention then turns to the large crate sitting just a meter away
"What's in there?"
>The workers share another uneasy look, their eyes occasionally flashing in the crates direction
>"Fuck if I know dude, we just got told to handle it carefully. 'Parently this shit came from some ancients estate a few systems over, real ancient. Like 300 plus"
>Huh, you knew modern medicine could keep people alive for centuries, but 300 plus!
>That was old...
>"Look, I wouldn't worry too much about someone coming for this shit, chances are the trash ships'll get it first. Probably doesn't mean shit to nobody."
>You give them a nod of understanding and watch as they climb back into their ship
>A rumble followed by a billow of air and the cargo transport is sailing through the sky and out of sight
>Your eyes drift back down to the boxes, specifically your mystery crate
>It certainly isn't locked, not by any measure, it's just tied shut with a couple of those industry grade cable restraints.
>Not exactly the best in terms of keeping property secure, but at least you'll be able to get them off
>The rest of the stuff around you looks fucked beyond repair, and you're secretly hoping this case is full of old weapons
>That shit sells, not that you needed the money anyway

>A short trip back to your courier and you have now acquired your plasma cutter
>A simple device for a simple purpose, cutting shit
>Carefully, you make an incision along the first tie, you make sure to avoid damaging the box further
>The contents certainly are heavy, and you won't risk anything in case they're fragile
>The first tie pops off, clattering across the dirt
"Jesus, what is that smell!?"
>You really hope this isn't a dead body
>Might even be the old coffin dodger himself
>With that in mind, you slice through the second tie like butter, pulling it off with minimal effort
>Box - 0
>Anon - 1
>The smell is really intense now, like a 400 year old corpse has been allowed to fester
>With a final heave you pull back the case, revealing it's contents
>...
>You were not ready for what you saw

>You'd read about these things, back in collage that is
>A race of seemingly intelligent horse... People
>You didn't give two shits about history but at least you passed it
>They had been discovered by humanity shortly after the invention of faster than light travel, and were, and still are, the only known extraterrestrial form of life to have made contact
>That alone should have been enough reason to cooperate with them, but friendship is often outweighed by greed
>The planet the little ponies inhabited was rare and exceedingly valuable, having it's own unique form of energy
>Along with enough free slave labor to power the never ending corporate war machine that puppeted most of the united government
>It was a shame really, the poor pests were eventually worked to extinction, their population failing under the extreme female to male imbalance
>Or so you thought, until just now
>The creature that was huddled in the shipping crate before you could hardly be considered 'little', being close the size of one of earths native equines
>Again you'd only seen photos of those
>It's coat was a filthy but obvious white, a thick film of grim and dirt covering her entire body
>At least you thought it was a she, could've been a boy horse for all you knew
>You decide to stick with she, seeing as she had a female-ish figure, almost masked by the fact that she was severely malnourished
>She sported a both a horn and wings, or well, half a horn and a wing
>Her ivory head spike had been snapped around the middle some how, and the break looked nasty
>Her left wing was in a similar condition, having nothing but a tattered stump and a lot of scar tissue in it's place
>Fuckingouch.png
>Her big magenta eyes were locked firmly with your own
>This creature had been through a lot, certainly enough to leave her body in such a worn state
>You briefly considered shutting the box and walking away, but decided against it
>You wouldn't let some old fucks cruelty bring you down on your good day, fuck that

>The minutes drag by, and you and your new horse in a box still haven't spoken
>She's still got her eyes firmly locked onto you, but the fear that was there previously has slowly ebbed away
>There's now a much scarier emotion running across her muzzle
>Desperation
>You think it's probably time to break the ice, but your so concerned with her physical well being that you're having a hard time speaking
"So... Uh. Have you got a... Name?"
>The pony just sits in silence, refusing to get out of her box
"Um... You look like you could do with something to eat..."
>Still no response
>Good job autist, you made things worse. All right, damage control
"Look I'm sorry, I just... You look really hurt and stuff, and you look like you could use a good meal."
>The smells still there, and unfortunately you now have a source
>How fucking long did that prick leave her in there
>She's covered in dust, her own waste and you swear to god if that's what you think that is in her hair
>You really hope that old cunt gets cancer and dies, not that cancer's killed anyone in hundreds of years
>Slowly, you bend down so your at eye level with the horse in the box
>Her fear seems to have returned, but she's doing a good job of hiding it
>You reach out slowly, going to stroke her soft (and desgustingly sticky) strawberry mane
>She flinches, expecting an impact, but the soft touch of you hand seems to both surprise and calm her
>Hnnnngg

--------------------

>You're still Anon, and you're still silently petting the box pony in the middle of a midden
>She isn't leaning into your soft strokes
>She's just sitting there, taking them
>You really need to get her inside, at least away from all this filthy stuff
>You could clean her in the small shower your bungalow came fitted with
>It's not an amazing shower, by any means, but it gets the job of cleaning your body done
>Now the real challenge is how do you move her
>You don't need to worry about getting strange looks
>You rarely see anyone outside of their space bungalows these days
>You would however have to convince the horse to move
>You couldn't just drag her, this was a thinking being just like yourself
>Dragging might hurt her, at least more than she already is hurt
>You could always bait her, that could work
>You get up to go find a sugercube or carrot, but have a startling realization
>She can fucking understand you autist, just ask her to move!
>And with that, you do

"Um, could you maybe come with me, I need to get you cleaned up, also fed."
>She just stares blankly at you before getting to her hooves in a shaky manner
>Her legs were so thin and weak looking, like a tarp stretched over a climbing frame
>It hurt you to see another being like this
"That's it, just take it slow..."
>She attempts to walk forwards, but seems to be struggling under her own weight
>She's also sporting a significant limp, one which your pretty sure was inflicted
>She makes her way over to you and stands at your side, waiting for you to move
"See that building over there?"
>You point in the general direction of your home while retaining eye contact with her
"That's my house, okay. Now we're going to go there and get you all fixed up."
>Well, not all fixed up
>You could probably work out how to repair her horn, but you doubt the changes are merely superficial
>You are no scientist, just a courier for light cargo

>Whether your new horse friend understands you is left unanswered, but she doesn't seem to mind as you carefully guide her back to your home
>Making sure not to injure her further, you attempt to life her up the small flight of concrete stairs at your front door
>And you massively misjudge her weight
>Guess she really wasn't a little pony, you hardly lifted her a foot off the ground
>She doesn't react to this, simply returning to her shaky stance when you set her down
>Maybe she'd make it up the stairs on her own
>With as much class as you can muster, you open the door and beckon her inside
>There's no door to hold open, seeing as it fucked off into the rafters when you pressed the key to the panel, but you pose there anyway, hoping she'll get the right idea
>She doesn't
"You can come inside, it's okay."
>She looks at you, then at the door, then back to you again
"Well? On you go."
>You offer a smile with that last line, trying to make it seem less like a command
>She freezes at your voice, and opens her mouth to respond
>No words come out, only coughs and wheezes
>She collapses to her knees, and you rush to keep her stable
>Ain't no way your letting an endangered and sentient creature die on your pathway, not on your good day!
>She coughs again and again, and you lightly pat her back throughout the ordeal
>Eventually the coughing stops, leaving you slowly rubbing her back as she shivers in pain
>What were you going to do with her
>You were about to move her again, when you hear a small whisper escape her dry lips
>You didn't quite catch it, but it sounded a lot like-
>"Thank you... Master."
>Well shit

>Your front door slides closed with a whoosh, sealing you inside your home
>As you gaze around, your reminded of just how happy this place makes you feel
>You remember someone saying that less is more... Or something
>That was a stupid analogy
>Less is still less, no matter what way you put it
>You were just happier with less
>A small bump to your side reminds you of your current visitor
>Her one remaining wing has unfurled, dragging loosely across your nylon carpet
>Maybe it's hurt too
>Hopefully not broken, you'd hate too see her in more pain
>Shit, you're staring
>The horse seems to notice too, and pulls it up with what seems like an awful lot of effort
>She then does something rather unnerving
>She locks up, like she was expecting an impact
>Did she think you were going to hit her?
>Did that old fuck hit her for something as menial as touching the carpet!
>You can see glassy orbs forming in the corners of her massive eyes, her teeth clamped shut
>You just raise your hand
>She tenses up even more, you can actually see what little muscle remains on her body ripple with anticipation
>You place you hand on her head
>She flinches at first, but soon comes to the realization that you're not being aggressive
>Two pink globes crack themselves open, and gaze up to you in confusion
"It's okay, you're safe now. I don't know what that piece of shit did to you, but you're safe. He can't hurt you here."
>She just continues to stare at you in disbelief
"Do you... Have a name?"
She hesitates for a moment before answering
>"I-I don't understand..."
>Her voice, though weak and timid, held an almost motherly tone
>"A-aren't you going to give me one?"
>What?
"No... I thought you would have one of your own, you do right?"
>She shivers uncomfortably, weird...
>"I did have one... L-long ago, I didn't think I was allowed to use it..."
"I'm not going to give another sentient being a name, I can't name what I don't own..."
>"B-but, I'm a pony..."
"Okay..."
>"And you're a human"
"Kay."
>"You must own me..."
"I don't, you're a free being of mind and will, I don't own you."
>She looks as though the word free has never been said in her presence
>There's an awkward moment of silence
>She's averted her eyes, which now face the floor once again
"Come on, let's get you clean."
>You make your way across the main space that formed most of your bungalow
>The only other section of your home was a small corridor that linked your bedroom and your bathroom to the central building
>You pass the heavy duty case that's mounted to your wall
>You keep your weapons in there
>Not like you ever have to use them
>Your courier craft is too small to warrant boarding and the cargo you haul is rarely worth any pirates trouble
>Still, better safe than sorry
>You're inside the bathroom now, which consists mostly of a shower and a toilet
>There's also a cabinet for things that belong in the bathroom
>Like toothpaste
>And your razor
>And extra bog roll
>Yeah, this isn't the most interesting room in the house
>You look behind you to check that the still unnamed horse has followed you
>Sure enough she's there, and she's watching your every move
>Her eyes are fucking massive
>You noticed it before, but now that their looking at you
>Holy Jesus
>You almost forget to turn the shower on because you're wondering how they fit in her comparatively small head
>Maybe it's... Magic?
>Fuck if you know
>You swipe your hand across the holographic dial that controls the temperature
>The water is beginning to warm up, but your power metre warns you that you'll need to fill up the fusion reactors tank out back
>Fucking helium water
>Shit's cheap as fuck but it requires you to move outside to fill up the tank
>It's now at a relatively comfortable temperature, not too hot, not to cold
>You signal your pegacorn roomie over to you
"Stick one of your hooves in there, see if it's alright for you. I'm gonna go grab a sponge."

>Back through to the kitchen
>You reach under the counter, pulling out a nice new sponge you have been keeping there for a special occasion
>Knowing it won't remain clean for long, you offer a silent prayer
>He was so young...
>So small...
>So-
>There's a fucking stain on your carpet
>You clap your hands three times, summoning the small machine that does the cleaning around here
>At least on the floor
>And as long as there isn't any chairs in the way
>Fucking roomba 9000
>The small device goes to work on the stain while you make it back to the shower
>Sponge in hand, you ready yourself for what will most likely be one of the most uncomfortable moments in your life
>She's still there, and her hoof is still in the shower
>And there's tears of shear agony running down her face
>You spare a glance at the temperature gauge
>Oh dear god
>109 degrees Celsius
>Your shower was capable of temperatures well over 200, and it seems you forgot to lock the dial
>In a flash, you're across the room, wrenching her badly burnt appendage out of the boiling water
"What the hell are you doing!"
>She cowers at your tone, but sputters out a shaky answer
>"Y-you said y-you wanted me to keep my hoof in the w-w-water."
"Not if it was hurting you!"
>Even through the fur you can tell the skin on her hoof is destroyed
>Crimson red glowers angrily through her now pristine white coat
>Why had she done that?
>Surely that kind of pain was beyond bearable
>With a flick of your wrist the shower stops, and the only sound left in the bathroom are the mares pained sobs
>You pull her close, wrapping her fragile frame in your arms
>What sort of hellish place did this mare come from...

--------------------

>You're sitting on the couch now
>Just sitting
>Doing nothing
>You fucking can't believe what you just saw
>This creature just disregarded its own physical health in favor of a command you didn't even give
>That's not even the worst part
>She then apologized
>She apologized for misunderstanding your simple instruction as a command to burn herself in the shower
>Whoever the fuck that old cunt was, you are going to find him
>And if he doesn't have a heart attack when they break down his door, then he'll probably have one when the Feds tie him up and throw him in the back of an Assault ship
>This shit has to be illegal on so many levels
>In fact, you might as well find out what the charges are going to be
>Just so you can list them personally in the high court
>It's googling time!
>'Pony slave rights'
>You can't think of anything better to type in
>Hopefully the slave part of 'pony slave' didn't have that much effect on your case
"Okay... Wikipedia don't fail me now!"
>Your smile tightens as you prepare your bloke bashing speech
>And then it disappears
>Instantly
"A ponies rights are at the discretion of their owner, no legal measures were ever taken to ensure ponies remain in good health and no regulations regarding living conditions were ever passed- BULLSHIT!"
>You almost throw your tablet across the room
>Except you don't
>Shit's expensive
>But you would if you could
>You take a glance at the mare next to you
>She appears to have fallen asleep
>The carefully wrapped cooling gauss appears to have set well
>This does little to stem your anger
>How can a species of intelligent and exceedingly endangered equines have literally no legal protection against ANYTHING!
>You were going to angry some more, but are interrupted by the sound of your stomach grumbling
>Fuck you hadn't eaten
>And neither had your guest
>For what looked like years
>You quickly get up from the couch
>It's munchies time
>You then pause
>What do ponies eat?
>Hay?
>Shit
>You used all your hay in that pie last week
>Still got good old fashioned eggs
>Some people claim eggs are a morning only thing
>Fuck those people
>Eggs are for every meal
>After another quick consult with the Galnet, you can confirm that ponies are completely capable of eating eggs, in fact it stated that they enjoy them as much as you do
>Of course it warned you not to feed your pony eggs, for fear of her becoming lazy and picky
>Omelet it is then!
>Minutes flow by
>You are Anonymous, master of the omelet
>Your omelettes are fit for a princess, and were you ever to meet one-
>Movement on the couch disrupts your inner omeletologue
>Looks like your guest is waking up
>She's still filthy, and you'll need to shower her again later on
>You watch as her eyes flutter open, adjusting to the light
>For a moment she almost looks happy, maybe she was having a nice dream
>Then horror takes the place of that happiness
>She's off the couch faster than is physically possible, but that's where the speed ends
>Thank god you're not rich enough for one of those imported wooden floors
>You may well have been prying her teeth out of a two by four for weeks
>She struggles to stand, grunting under the pain of her injured hoof
>You put the omelet mix on low and rush to help her
>She's just about up when you get to her, and once again she braces for impact
>"I'm sorry! Please don't... Please..."
>She's so tired that she can barely hold it together
>She just collapses into your arms as you move to stop her descent
"Shhh... It's okay... Your safe. Your safe."
>"B-but-"
"Shhh..."
You pat her gently as she empties buckets of tears down your back
>This isn't fair
>How could anyone possibly think to abuse something so fragile
>So innocent
>It fills you with a fury that you hadn't felt about anything before this
>More than anything you wanted help her
>But that little voice at the back of your mind was telling you there was no way to help
>That she was just.. Broken

>No
>That was no way to think
>There was a living creature that needed your help, and you couldn't just give up
>Not like that
>You pull away from the hug, startling the frightened mare
>You look her in the eyes and give her a soft smile
>There!
>You swear you saw it, even just for second
>That was a smile
"I made dinner, I take it you're hungry?"
>She didn't look like she was in any condition to refuse
>"Yes master- I m-mean thank you, m-master."
>You get up, refusing to acknowledge the fact that she still smelled like a sewage system
>Food first, proper wash after
>You set the table, pulling out two plates and two omnitools
>These things were a gift from god
>All the cutlery you'd ever need for anything hidden away by complex mechanisms in a space the size of a fork
>Truly the greatest human advancement you'd the universe had ever seen
>FTL drives don't got shit on your über spknorks
>Your roomie approaches the table, and proceeds to lie down on the floor
"Uh... What are you doing?"
>"I'm waiting for you to finish..."
"And why exactly are you lying at my feet?"
>"W-well, my old master liked to use my back as a foot rest while he ate, I just thought y-you would too."
>This fucking guy
"No, get up."
>She gets up, bracing yet again
"No, no. It's okay, you've done nothing wrong."
>She visibly relaxes, but avoids eye contact
"Now, I want you to go round to the other side of the table, and take a seat in that chair."
>She blinks in surprise, looking at the chair with an almost awe inspired expression
>"M-master?"
"You heard me... Go go go."
>You get up and shoo the unisys round to her chair, which she sits in awkwardly
>A quick check of your masterful omelettes shows that they're ready
>Good shit
>You take a whiff of that godly smell as you plate them up
>Divine
>Just as always
>In one swift move, you place both plates on the table and return to your seat
"Well, are you going to eat it or what?"
>Horse.EXE has stopped working
>"W-what?"
>She's still staring at the plate
>And the steamy omelet that resides there
"Seriously, you need to eat. So go on, I ain't gonna stop you."
>You try to ignore the incomprehensible horse babble that's coming out her mouth
>Your omelet isn't going to eat itself
>"This is... For me?"
>Not for much longer if you don't hurry up
>You simply nod however, seeing as your mouth is full of eggy goodness
>"B-but, I don't understand... What did I do to deserve this?"
"You don't have to earn a good meal, to be honest it's not any more trouble to make extra mixture. Plus I enjoy cooking so..."
>"T-thank you, master..."
>Your gonna need to plug this 'master' thing before it goes too far
>Can't have you getting used to it
"You know you don't have to me master, right?"
>"S-sorry, did you wish to be called something else? Oh, maybe sir. Or-"
"Or you could just call me by my name?"
>"O-okay... Um, excuse me for asking... But what is your n-name?"
>Oh, shit
>You must have forgotten to introduce yourself when you met her
>Or rather, unboxed her
"Oh uh, it's Anonymous, but you can just call me Anon."
>"O-okay mast- I mean Anon."
>You spot an opportunity
"I never did catch you name. What is it?"
>She looks uneasy
>You just continue to smile at her
>"W-well, I've had lots since... I became a slave, would you like to pick one of those?"
"No, I want to know your name, not the name some old fuck gave you."
>"It's... C-Celestia."
>Huh, what a nice name.
>The two of you continue eating in silence, Celestia long since abandoning her omnitool in favor of her face
>You didn't mined, you though it was cute
>She certainly seemed to be in better mood than before
>But she still stunk, and that would not stand!

>After the omelettes where finished you took the time to explain what each area of the bungalow was for
>Your small tour culminated in the bathroom once again, where you picked up the discarded sponge and turned on the shower
>She flinched and brought her bandaged hoof up to her chest, attempting to protect it
"Hey, it's okay. The shower isn't designed to burn people, it's for washing."
>"B-but won't my bandage get wet?"
"No, it's made of a special waterproof material, it won't come off."
>You triple check the temperature to make sure there's no chance of it hurting her
>The lock was in place, with no chance of the gauge being disrupted
>Good
>You step back and gesture for her to enter
>Celestia looks hesitant, but slowly enters the rushing stream
>Her eyes are forced shut as she expects boiling water
>She's then pleasantly surprised when it's not
>Even without your interference, the water seems to be doing it's job
>Bits of white are beginning to show through the brown film the previously covered her
>A rogue drip down her flank reveals something rather interesting
>She has a mark of some sort
>Kinda looks like a yellow splodge
>You don't question it
>Instead, you raise your sponge and get to work

>Using a bar of soap to work up a lather, you begin to scrub her down
>Flakes of god knows what tumble away in the water as you clean the base of her neck
>It's like washing a big dog, only intelligent, and injured
>You've never owned a dog, but you assume this is what it's like
>So far you've managed to rid the upper part of her body of filth
>She seems to be enjoying it, but attempts to hide her pleasure with a detached look
>Applying more shampoo, you move on the the stump of her left wing
>The grime there is browner than the rest, but comes off with less effort
>As it pools in the drainage basin below, you suddenly realize what it is
>It's fucking blood
>Which means that her wounded wing wasn't bandaged
>It was all over the inside of that box as well
>Did that fucker put her in there with an open wound
>You try to ignore the storm of wrath that's building up inside you
>One problem at a time Anon, one problem at a time
>Luckily the appendage seems to have healed
>Maybe she just heals faster that normal
>You don't know
>Legs now
>Celestia wordlessly lifts each of them up to allow for easy access
>What a helpful horse
>This shower will need an extra good clean once you're done
>After her legs you begin to clean her flanks
>Now that the dirt is gone, you can see her mark in all it's glory
>It's a star
>Like a child's drawing of a star
>Celestia the star horse
>No, star horse sounds weird
>Sun horse
>Now that's a nickname you can get behind
>Speaking of getting behind
>You weren't looking forward to this next bit

"Um... You're probably gonna want to clean up up... Down there..."
>With spaghetti spewing from every orifice, you gesture red faced to her rear
"I don't wanna... You know... Invade you privacy or anything."
>She looks shocked, you assume because she'd never been given the choice before
>But then she smiles
>Holy fuck she's got a nice smile
>Aaaaand that was a wink
>...
>And now she looks terrified
>"I'm sorry maste- I mean Anon! I meant no disrespect, I-"
"Woah woah, it's fine. I actually thought it was kind of... Cute?"
>Yeah
>Cute
>Almost as cute as the blush she's now sporting
>"T-thank you Anon."
"Don't mention it. Now about this..."
>"I-I would do it myself, but I cannot. Not anymore..."
>Oh yeah
>Her horn
>You've really gotta work out how to fix that
>At least to get her magic stuff back
>"Just try to be... Gentle. Please..."
>Gentle, you could do that
>Although there was always the option of the high pressure shower mo-
>Nope
>You needed to man up and clean this horses vagina
>Like the man you are
>Rawr
"Okay, I promise."
>She turned so that her rear was facing you
>And then lifted her tail
>...
>...
>Of course she has a horse vag Anon
>She's a fucking horse
>What were you expecting

>Being as gentle as you can, you begin to wash her rear
>There's a lot of questionable residue coming off on the sponge
>Real questionable
>Real disgusting
>A quick once over with your magic sponge fixes that, now the only thing remaining was her sex itself
>You rinse your sponge and get to work
>Cleaning around in there does illicit some reaction from her
>You assume it's rather sensitive
>Or damaged
>You say it's safe to assume that her 'golden oldie' must have used her for... Pleasure
>You shiver at the thought
>Fucking pensioners and their fossil dicks
>Eventually you finish up
>Now only her mane and tail are left
>Reequipping your shampoo spray, you douse her strawberry tail in the soapy gel
>The process reminds you of cleaning your own hair
>But longer and more girly
>More questionable fluids
>Oh boy
>Shit would give you aids
>If aids hadn't been cured centuries ago
>Her mane requires the same level of expertise
>And before you know it your both sparkling clean
>Well, she is
>You're just wet
>Leading her out the shower, you make sure her squeaky clean hooves don't slip on the bathroom floor
>A button on the wall next to the shower opens up a retractable panel, revealing a hair dryer and a selection of pre warmed towels
>Grabbing the dryer, you blow dry that motherfucker till she resembles a ball of cotton candy
>You then once over her with a towel just to get the last of the damp off
>And there you go, one shower completed
"Right Celestia, I need to have a shower of my own, so why don't you go through and see what's on TV."
>Surprisingly, she just nods and walks off
>I guess she knows how to work a TV
>Good for her
>Now, about that shower

>Fuck yeah, nice and clean
>You step out of the shower and grab a towel
>You run it across your body, getting yourself near enough to dry
>Wrapping the towel around yourself, you bump the lock on the door to let you out
>It's colder outside, and your body gives an involuntary shiver
>Celestia is sitting on the couch, fiddling with the volume on the TV
>Looks like she found the news channel
>Nothing out of the ordinary
>Politics stuff
>Kinda boring in your opinion
>Then the daily crime report appears on screen
>A few systems near you have fallen into anarchy
>Looks like your route will have to be adjusted
>Again
>There's a bit of footage of one of those federal light cruisers
>What were they called again...
>Cutters?
>No, that was the other one
>Ahh, Federal Corvettes
>That's the ones
>You see it blow up a pirate raiding party with cool lasers
>Cool, but you like your ship better
>What with how cozy it is
>Celestia seems mesmerized by the display on screen, watching as some woman with a sweet voice talks about integrated weapons systems
>"We never stood a chance..."
>Odd
>You choose to go into your room to collect your PJs
>Once comfy'd up, you reemerge and make your way over to the couch
"Budge up Sunhorse."
>She instead gasps and drops too the floor, lying on her stomach
>"Sorry Anon! I-"
"No, not on the floor. Feel free to sit on the couch, I just wanted you too move along so I could sit too."
>"O-oh, I wasn't really allowed on the couches in my old masters home..."
"Well this ain't his home, and I say you can sit wherever you want. Now get your ass up on this couch."

>She uneasily gets back up onto the couch, shuffling her hooves to find a comfortable spot
>You turn you attention back to the TV, where the presenter is now talking about stocking up on heat sinks
>You got enough heat sinks, it's all good
>Oh shit!
>The fusion reactor needs topped up
>Better do that before it gets too chilly out
>You stand from the couch to go retrieve your slippers
>"Anon, where are you going?"
"I'm gonna go get my slippers so I can fill up the reactor, helium water ain't gonna shift itself."
>She looks absolutely mortified before leaving the couch and rushing past you
>Wut teh fuk
>She disappears behind your bedroom door, which you showed her how to work earlier
>You wonder if that was a good idea...
>She then reemerges from your resting place with with a pair of woolly slippers clamped between her teeth
>She saved you a whole 17 and a half seconds and a 15 meter walk
>Fucking score!
"Hey thanks, but you didn't need to do that."
>"I'm here to serve you in any way required Anon, if you want something you need only ask."
>Huh
>Well you ain't gonna complain about someone getting your slippers for you, even if they've been conditioned to believe they have no choice
>Shit, that's messed up
>But still kinda useful
>*Moral conflict intensifies*
>In the time you've been thinking, Celestia has moved to putting your slippers on for you
>While you're standing on your feet
>You pat her on the head in thanks and slip on your foot warmers
"I'll just be a minute Celestia, why don't you see if there's anything less depressing on."
>You approach the back door of your home
>Outside you can see the small but functional patch of dirt you call your back yard
>You have a shed for tools and your SRV
>And there's a small bin like object that houses your fusion plant
>Clicking the button by the door, it slides open, letting the heat of your living room escape
>Better hurry

>You trudge up the garden, your slippers smacking off the stone masonry
>As you approach your reactor, you reach out to pull out the helium water canister
>With a hiss it detaches, and you take it over to the shed where you keep your fuel
>Pulling open the metal doors, you see your Surface Recon Vehicle is in the same state you left it
>Just fine
>There's more canisters of water up on the shelves to your right, and you drop the empty shell into the pile of similarly empty shells
>Discarding your baggage, you are now able to pull one of the full cells down
>With that you return to your reactor and plug it in, eliciting a ping as the lights returned and the reactor beamed with sunny energy
>As you made your way back up the path, you notice Celestia is waiting for you
>"A-Anon..."
"Yeah."
>"Is that sunlight?"
"Kinda, the reactor fuses particles together to make energy, just like the sun. Think of it as a star in a jar."
>She gazes at it in wonder, before turning back to you
>"Does it ever go out?"
"Sometimes, but it brightens back up if you keep it well fed. I bit like you Sunhorse."
>She lingers in the door for a while as you return to the couch
>The channel has been switched to a documentary about black holes
>You'd gone on a visit to one a while back
>Trippy as fuck
>But pretty cool
>The documentary is voiced by a smooth sounding man who obviously knows what he's talking about
>An animation shows a star collapsing in on itself to become a black hole, then some actual footage of a few black holes
>Hey, you'd been there before!
>Good times
>It was then that you realized that the door was still open
"Come on Celestia, your letting all the heat out."
>She presses the button on the wall to shut the door, and instantly it becomes warmer
>Your horse roomie then takes a seat on the couch next to you, laying out like you suspect a horse would normally sit
>"These 'black holes', they aren't real right?"
"Uh, yup. I'll take you to the closest one if you like, quite a sight."
>She looks confused
>"But this television show says that in order for one to form, the sun has to die."
"Yeah. Eventually stars just collapse under the weight of their own mass, and then a black hole is formed."
>She looks saddened by this
>You don't know why
>Black holes are fucking sick yo
>"Does that mean that one day all the suns will die?"
"Yeah I guess, but none of us will be around to see that."
>She looks even worse
>Are you stepping on horse culture or something?
>Cheer her up you faggot
"But hey, that won't be for trillions of years, and there's some pretty big stars out there. Real impressive."
>It does little to improve the mood
>Jesus at this rate you would have been better sticking with the Galnet
>At least that wasn't causing you to offend you house guest
>Oh look an ad brake
>Neat
>You look over to see Celestia stifling a yawn
>She looks cute when she's tired
>A quick glance at the clock shoes 27:56
>32 hour days are weird
>Maybe you should get her off to bed
>Another yawn
>Yeah, sleep is best
"You look awfully tired, you wanna go to bed?"
>"N-no I'm fine Anon, I'm just stretching."
>Shit lie
"Come on you, let's get you to bed."
>She follows you into your room, and you pat the bed with a smile
"It's all yours, try not and make it smell too horsey."
>She looks genuinely flabbergasted
>"B-but this is your bed!"
"Uh-huh, and it's yours tonight."
>She flinches but nods in recognition
>Then she begins to turn around and-
"No! No, no. Not that."
>"I'm sorry master! Did you want it some other way?"
"No. I didn't want sex!"
>"W-what? But you said that-"
"I said you'd be sleeping in this bed tonight, I'll take the couch. Your injured and you need your rest."
>"B-but-"
"None of that, get under the covers. Now."
>Once she was sufficiently blanketed up, you wished her good night and closed the door.
>That fucking old creep
>At least your couch was comfy
>Pulling a blanket over your head, you turn off the TV
>Fucking black holes

--------------------

>You're having a nice dream
>You're out on the frontier, blazing your own trail
>Just you, your ship and your tunes
>But something's missing from this dream
>You can't put your finger on it, but something just seems... Wrong
>As your dream ship exits a jump, a loud clatter can be heard
>Your dream world is sucked away as you're pulled back to consciousness
>Fuck it's dark
>You crack your eyes open, searching for a light switch to flick
>Come on stupid flesh sticks, move!
>Finally you manage to pull the cord on a lamp next to the couch
>Your back hurts
>Maybe the couch wasn't such a good idea
>Wait...
>Why were you on the couch?
>A quick peak at the window confirms it's still night time
>Maybe you just fell asleep playing vidya again
>You do remember something about...
>Black holes?
>Fucking Eden 3.14, making physics more interesting that it should be
>Another clatter close by rouses you further
>The fuck was that
>Space roaches, it had to be
>You leap off the couch in a hurry
>That sound came from the kitchen, and you were gonna squash those roaches before they ate your hay pie
>With the grace of a swan, you rush into the kitchen
>Brandishing the TV remote in one hand, and a Biro in the other, you home in on your prey
>Except...
>There's no roaches in sight
>Just a jittery sun horse
>With a platter of coffee balanced on her hoof
>"M-master?"
>Oh right
>Celestia
>You forgot about that
"Uh yeah, hey... How are you?"
>"I-I am fine, I made you some coffee."
>Your eyes light up at the sight of your techy coffee pot
"Uh, thanks. You didn't need too."
>"B-but this is what I always do."
"Always did. You don't have to get up at... What time is it again?"
>"Three o'clock in the morning."
>Oh
>Shit
>Still about seven hours, but you didn't need to go to work for another four
"Oh, well thanks for the coffee."
>She attempts to hobble over to the couch on three hooves
>You put a stop to that

>There's only one mug on the platter
>A black one with a picture of earths moon on it
>You swear that was near the back
>Ehh, probably not
>Although you wonder if Celestia might also like coffee
"Hey Sunhorse, you want some too?"
>"I-I'm allowed coffee?"
"Course you are, I'll grab you a mug."
>You pull a second mug out of the pantry and place it on the tray
>This one's just yellow
>Taking a seat on the couch, you pull your living room table over the carpet, allowing the tray to be placed down
>As carefully as you can, you pour into both mugs, the lights on the side of your coffee pot signalling the amount of liquid left
>Once filled, you place the yellow mug down in front of Celestia and take hold of your own
>She thanks you and picks it up with her hooves
>As she sips, you silently pray that the Hnnnngg overload doesn't give you an aneurysm
>Fucking horses and their horse cuteness
>You resist the urge to pat her on the head, and instead focus on your own coffee
>With a shallow blow, you raise the chocolaty liquid up to your lips
>Holy shit
>This is the best damn coffee you've ever tasted
>Period
"This is fucking delicious, how'd you get so good?"
>She blushes and hides behind her mug
>"I-It's nothing really, I've just had a lot of practice."
"Heh, you're definitely a keeper."
>Yup, so far you weren't regretting digging her out of that box
>Though you should find a way to repay her pretty soon
>Maybe you could pick up some stuff today on your route
>Oh that reminds you
"Uh Celestia, I'm gonna have to go to work in a few hours. I'll be out for a while, gotta deliver some cargo. Will you be okay in here?"
>"Yes mast- Anon! I'll be fine. Don't you worry about me."
>You were still unsure
>Maybe you could call in sick...
>Nah, she'll be fine
>Celestia raises her mug up to take another drink, and then several things happen at once

>Celestia chokes on the coffee, her muscles twitching as she coughs
>One of her largest muscles, her remaining right wing, shoots out involuntarily
>Her wing smacks the mug of hot coffee out of your hands
>It makes a short arc through the air, before stopping abruptly
>An inch away from your face
>The mug, along with all the liquid within, is hovering in a flickering and crackling field of golden energy
>In your shock, you hadn't even brought your hands up to your face
>It's then that you notice the TV remote is beginning to float upwards
>And so is the Biro on the counter
>Every small object in your home begins to rapidly ascend towards the ceiling
>You look at Celestia
>Oh fuck
>Her mouth is open, like she's screaming, but no noise escapes
>Her shattered horn is glowing and spewing plasma and magic around her body
>New cracks begin to form on it's surface as heavier objects begin to rise as well
>You even feel yourself floating off the ground
>This needs to stop
>Now
"Celestia!"
>Your own voice sounds muffled and distant, like you're in a vacuume
"Celestia stop!"
>You feel your lungs begin to contract, like your being suffocated
>Just one more shout...
"CELESTIA STOP NOW!"
>That did it
>Everything, including yourself, tumbles to the floor
>The mug, which was the original focus of her magic, rockets across the room at supersonic speeds, smashing into the opposite wall and braking into thousands of pieces
>In panic, you reach out to Celestia, who has collapsed unmoving onto the sofa
>Her horn has suffered significant damage
>Another long chunk has been blown off the side, leaving what little remained at half it's original width
>Fuck fuck fuck
>A quick pulse check shows she's breathing, but you dare not wake her
>The bungalow is trashed, miscellaneous items strewn everywhere
>And to top it all off, you have a thumping headache
>Well
>Looks like you'll be needing that sick day after all

>...
>And that's the last one
>You just finished cleaning up the bungalow
>It wasn't an easy job, but you're the only one in this household capable at the minute
>You barely manage to avoid tripping over your wandering roomba on the way back to the couch
>It's not really helping
>Just spreading the remaining mug debre around the carpet
>So you can step on it later
>Fucking roomba 9000
>Once sitting, you pull your tablet out from underneath one of the cushions
>The monitoring app you had set up shows all green
>Good
>You wouldn't want her so suffer any more
>You obviously don't understand enough about this magic stuff to make a judgement
>Maybe that kind of thing is normal
>Didn't fucking look normal but k
>A blip on the tab shows she's beginning to wake up
>Taking the tablet with you, you exit the couch and walk towards your room
>It had been a few hours since the incident, and Celestia had remained asleep since then
>At least you got the day off work
>Approaching the door, you take one last took at the tab to check if she's fully awake
>She is indeed
>With that you give it a light push, entering the darkness on the other side
>At first you can't see shit, but slowly, things start to come into focus
>The first thing you notice is that Celestia isn't in the bed
>You can't see where she is in this lighting, but the monitor says she's in this room
"Celestia, you in here?"
>No answer
"I'm gonna turn the lights on now, close your eyes so it doesn't give you a sore head"
>Like that one you had earlier
>Which still hasn't fully gone away
>You fumble with the buttons on the wall, attempting to find the one that controls the lights
>Got it
>Pressing the button, you find your room is now bathed in calm light
>Oh...
>Oh dear...

>One of your walls has been ripped to shreds
>Bits of loose wallpaper and even pieces of the wall underneath hang from a scratched pattern on it's surface
>Celestia sits in the corner, facing the wall
>She doesn't look good
>Even from here you can tell she's been crying
>There are also prevalent bags under her eyes and a closer look shows her coat has dimmed in color
>No longer is it pearly white, but now a sort of sad grey
>She's shaking as you approach, probably because of the mess she's made
>One thing at a time Anon, one thing at a time
"Celestia? Are you okay?"
>Still nothing
"Come on, I can't help you if you don't talk to me."
>She flinches
>"Why did you pick me master?"
>What?
"What do you mean?"
>"You could have had any other pony, yet you picked me... Why?"
"Um..."
>"I'm useless... I cannot fly, I cannot do magic without destroying your home. Any other human would have chosen another. Yet you picked me..."
>Wait
>She still believes the slave thing is going on?
>Just how long was she in that box?
"Celestia-"
>"Why would anyone want me..."
>You cautiously approach her, and as expected she braces
>You simply bend down and wrap her in a hug
>She's shocked at first, but doesn't protest
"It's okay... Everything's gonna be okay..."
>You were going to need to ask her about this
>Where had she been?
>You continue holding her, but neither of you says anything
>You're just there for her...
>After a long while she stops shivering
>"T-thank you, Anon."
>She's back to using your name
>Progress
"No need to thank me, I take care of my friends."
>There was a small wince at the mention of friends, but you don't question it
>You doubt she has particularly strong affection to humanity as a whole
"Come on, let's get something to eat."
>She nods and gets slowly to her hooves
>As you lead her out of the room, you look back at the scratched shape on the wall
>Your not too sure what it means
>But it kinda looks like...
>A crescent moon?
>Odd...

--------------------

>You just finished breakfast
>A simple dish of oatmeal and raisins
>Celestia still said she didn't deserve it
>The begs the question of what she ate previously
>Scraps?
>Random debree off her masters kitchen floor?
>You place the last clean bowl in the drying rack and flick it into the wall
>You can hear the heater activate as the dishes are blasted dry by hot fans
>A quick glance out the window confirms Celestia hasn't moved
>She's just sitting out in the back garden
>Staring at the sky as one of the local stars passes overhead
>Just what were you going to do with her?
>She seemed to avoid talking about her previous home outside of what she was expected to do
>You understand this, it must have been fucking awful
>But you know that you're going to have to ask sooner rather than later
>All of this leads back to the two main things you wish to know
>How long was she in that box
>And what the symbol still engraved in your bedroom wall had to do with it
>You suppose you could always try searching for her online
>You doubt you'll find anything, what with the fact that she's supposed to be dead
>But it's worth a shot
>Pulling your tablet across the counter, you search the Galnet for anything to do with her
"Nope, nope, not that, definitely not that... Ahah!"
>You seem to have stumbled apon an old slave trading website
>You're surprised the servers have remained up, what with the lack of slaves to trade, but you ain't gonna complain
>The website looks pretty professional, and it probably was
>You remember from your collage education that pony slave trading was one of the biggest markets on the galaxy
>Not even rare minerals could keep up with that shit
>There's a search bar near the top, displaying the usual magnifying glass
>'Find a slave'
>You enter Celestia's name into the bar and press search
>0 results
>You try 'Sun horse'
>0 results
>Maybe it's just dead
>You decide to just enter a general description

>If you remember correctly her type were pretty rare
>You can't remember the name given to them
>Fuck it, 'winged unicorn' will have to do
>5 results
>Oh shit
>You look at each of the options
>[Redacted] Twilight Sparkle
>[Redacted] Cadence
>[Redacted] Flurry Heart
>[Redacted] Celestia
>There she is!
>You touch the expansion icon, enlarging the image and description
>'[Redacted] Celestia is the former [Redacted] of [Redacted]'
>Okay...
>Helpful...
>You read on
>'Height well above average, the largest ever recorded'
>Yup, you got that
>'Age [Redacted]'
>Fuckin' okay then
>'Mane displays non-physical properties'
>You take a glance out the window
>Your pink haired Celestia is sniffing a flower with an alien insect on it
>No non-physical mane there
>'Has mark of a star on flank'
>Yup
>The page then ends in an image and a price tag
>You find it hard to believe that the regal and beautiful being in the image is in any way related to the pony that is hobbling quickly away from an angry alien insect outside
>But that mark doesn't lie
>It's the same horse
>You then look at the price tag
>And your jaw hits the floor
>Half a billion credits
>That's well over 300 times the cost of your ship
>Jesus that old fart must have been loaded
>Fuck him and his money
>Dick
>You then notice a last line of writing in italics
>'Item comes in conjunction with it's counterpart'
>'Prolonged absence from each other's near vicinity will cause auditory and visual hallucinations for both parts.'
>Wut
>'If you are thinking of buying this product, please read the following articles surrounding [Redacted] Celestia's sister...'
>'[Redacted] Luna...'

>You hover you finger over the link before giving it an uneasy press
>The file is similar in layout to Celestia's
>A few loose statements and an image
>The spooks really went all out on this
>What was it they were so desperately trying to cover up?
>You read the first line
>'[Redacted] Luna is the former [Redacted] of [Redacted]'
>Most of what follows is a repeat of before, the only difference being the actual visible data
>Then something catches your eye
>'Has mark of crescent moon on flank'
>Hang the fuck up
>You scroll down to the image
>Just as her file reads, she has a dark blue coat and a mane full of stars
>On her flank is a black splodge with a crescent moon at it's center
>An exact mirror of the one scratched into your bedroom wall
>Spooky
>Luna's price tag is similarly outrageous, standing at 300 million credits
>The disclaimer is also repeated, warning the buyer not to separate her from her sister
>Did that old cunt own both of them?
>Did he own all of these...
>You check the actual name of her species before continuing
>Alicorns?
>It's then that you notice the other feature of the website
>'Where to buy'
>You quickly bang 'Luna' into the search bar
>Nothing
>Shit, try again
>'Alicorn'
>3 results
>Luna isn't one of them
>Neither is Celestia
>Out of curiosity, you check the occupation of 'Cadence'
>Up pops a bright pink pony with a three tone mane
>'Current location: Deceased -12/07/2784'
>Oh...
>You just sit in silence for a moment
>Well, let's try another one
>Twilight Sparkle
>A smaller purple pony with a rather straight fringe
>'Current location: Deceased - 30/06/2976'
>Oh...
>Losing hope, you decide to check the last one
>Flurry Heart
>A child most definitely, judging by the size
>'Current location: Unknown, but presumed deceased'
>You turn off the pad and flop back into the couch
>What if Celestia really is the last of her kind?
>What then?
>No, you mustn't give up hope

>Looking out at your garden, you see that Celestia has now obtained a large alien insect face mask
>You couldn't just ask her about this
>As much as it would make it easier, you had a sneaking suspicion that she had been separated from Luna for a very long time, and you don't want to reopen any old wounds
>Even if you've only known her for a day, this horse certainly has found her way into your heart and mind
>Mind...
>Mind! That's it!
>Perhaps the sisters use some sort of telepathic communication
>You remember reading that the arcane energy that was sucked out of their planet could be used for such things
>Maybe that's why they get sick
>If the connection is severed then they cannot communicate properly, so that could be causing the hallucinations
>And what would disrupt a signal more than destroying the emitter?
>If you repaired her horn, then maybe Celestia could lead you straight to her sister, or vice versa
>But if Luna really is dead, then at least she'll have her magic back...
>Who are you kidding, you doubt she'd even have the willpower to go on by that point
>But there's only one way to find out
>All you have to do is work out how to fix a mythical magic head wand
>...
>You were gonna need some shit
>While you've been thinking, more of those large, moth like creatures have appeared
>They seem to like her, and are covering her from head to tail
>You can't tell if she's scared or not
>You also don't know what kind of bugs those are, and should probably do something about them before you have to patch her up again
>Grabbing the edge of the sofa, you hoist yourself up and move to the door
>There's a pair of metal waste units by the fence to your left
>You can see a single sun horse eye follow you through a think layer of moths
>You pull the lids off both the bins and approach her trembling, moth ridden form
>With a mighty force, you bang the bin lids together, startling the swarm of insects, their sunny perch and yourself

>Angry bugs descend apon you, ripping and tearing at your bones
>You feel one pull out your heart and eat it while it still beats
>You scream in agony
>The beasts laugh with a... Light and girly tone?
>You crack open an eye
>Your lying in the middle of the grass, shielding yourself with a bin lid and shivering in fright
>And Celestia is laughing at you
>She has a really nice laugh
>It's the kind of laugh you want to hear more often
>To bad it stops
>"I-Im sorry master! I don't know what came over me. It won't happen again I swe-"
>You cut her off by hitting her in the head
>With a clump of dried grass you pulled out of the earth
>She sits there for a moment, attempting to process what just happened
"Fucking wildlife."
>You roll upwards, tossing the bin lids across the garden to be picked up later
"Come on Sunhorse, I think there's ice cream or something in the fridge."
>You stroll back into the house, leaving her sitting in the middle of the lawn with grass on her nose and a returning moth on her head

--------------------

>Sol tracer moths
>That's what they're called
>A fitting name, actually
>The way their wings look like solar flares as the dance in the breeze
>Completely harmless and surprisingly docile
>In fact they're often kept as pets
>They aren't even native to this planet, they just happen to thrive here
>You find it funny that you've never seen one before, as they are supposedly a common sight around this stretch of the galaxy
>You need to get out more
>On that topic, you've recently discovered that your horse house mate enjoys the simple game of hide and seek
>There isn't much too it, one person hides, the other finds
>You can't believe you had to have that explained to you
>It's not something you ever played as a kid
>You are enjoying it thoug- AHAH!
>A bit of pink is poking out from behind your fusion plant
>Also a jagged horn
>And a limp wing
>Yeah, she may like it...
>But she's shit at it
>By this point you're actively avoiding finding her, just to make the rounds last longer
>You stalk towards the reactor, keeping low and silent
>Jesus you can hear her giggling meters away
>You crouch in front of the reactor, and a large magenta eye finds it's way round the side
>She can't see you
>You'd think eyes that size would have a massive field of view, but she's completely blind to your advance
>The soft humming of the generator concedes your every movement as you prepare to pounce on your prey
>3...
>2...
>1...
>You leap up in front of her, giving a mighty roar
>Her reaction is priceless
>A scream of fright, followed by a flex of every muscle in her body
>Needless to say she travels quite far backwards, landing in a pile of legs and feathers
>You're laughing now
"Your fucking face!"
In your fit of hysteria, you manage to switch from laughing to coughing pretty quickly
>Fucking dry throat
>You'll need to pick up she meds tomorrow when you're out
>Along with a whole bunch of other stuff
>Like a lot more

>Celestia has managed to untangle herself by this point, and now stands before you expectantly
>You check your watch
>10 pm
>It might be time to retire for the night
"Right Sun horse, I think it might be time to clean up for the night."
>She visibly deflates, but her smile remains
>"Okay Anon, I'll go..."
>What?
>She quickly disappears into the house, leaving you standing around in the garden amongst the strewn remains of a day of fun
>You didn't even know horses could play swing ball, let alone a hundred times better that you
>A noise disrupts you train of thought as Celestia can be seen attacking the floor of your home with a broom
>Oh, she must have taken 'clean up' literally
>"Anon? Why is your communication device blinking?"
>You have a call apparently
"I'll get that, and you don't actually have to clean up, it was a figure of speech."
>She either doesn't hear you or chooses to ignore you, as she continues to push the broom around
>Why the fuck so you even have a broom?
>Eh, forget it
>Picking up your phone, you see that the call is from none other that your lovely boss
>You almost wish they had never invented faster than light phone calls
>At least then he wouldn't be able to bother you with his over exaggerated sighs of disappointment
>Fucking dick
>You slide your finger across the screen and lift it up to your ear...
>...And then you take it away from your ear to stop it from rupturing
>"ANONYMOUS! I HAVE BEEN CALLING YOU ALL FUCKING DAY, WHERE THE HELL WERE YOU!?"
>Uh oh
>His secretary probably forgot to relay information
"G-good evening sir, what's the issue?"
>You can actually hear the animalistic snarls he's emitting
>"DON'T YOU GIVE ME THAT HORSE CRAP! I needed your courier here this morning for a supply run! Where were you!?"
"I called in sick sir, your new secretary answered the phone and told me it was green."
>"I DON'T HAVE A FUCKING SECRETARY DIPSHIT! WHEN HAVE I EVER HAD A SECRETARY?!"
>Oh, looks like you got pranked

"I swear sir, someone answered the phone and said they were your secretary."
>"Sure they did, and I own a unicorn!"
>You take a look at Celestia, who is now washing the windows with a dirty dish cloth
"Look I swear! I'll make up the time tomorrow!"
>"You fucking better, or your ass is fired! You hear! I don't have time to deal with truancy. Turn up or no pay up. Kapeesh?"
"Y-yes sir."
>"Good, now I expect to see you on your next shift. And be fucking punctual or I swear to god I'll fire you right there and then!"
>There was a blip as he hung up
>What a dick
>To be fair he probably had to redirect another ship to do your job, but that doesn't mean you enjoy getting yelled at down the phone
>Whichever intern pulled this one would most definitely be getting smacked when you find them
>Celestia has now finished 'cleaning' the windows
>It's actually not that bad, just a bit of dish grease here and there
>She's now attempting to reorganize your cutlery by type rather than by most used
"Hey Celestia?"
>"Yes Anon?"
>"I can't be fucked cooking, wanna order a pizza and watch a movie?"
>She puts down one of your least used eating implements, the dreaded knife, and gives you a confused look
>"Okay... What's a pizza? I-if you don't mind me asking."
>...
>...
>You were gonna teach this horse so many things...

--------------------

>This must be it
>Truly you are as comfortable as is humanly possible
>You have your pizza, what little remains steaming in its box in front of you
>You have your movie, which is an ancient classic and never fails to entertain you
>And most importantly you have someone to share it all with
>The big grey-white wing draped heavily over your back is confirmation of that
>Celestia seems to enjoy this kind of activity
>As far as her smile shows
>All around you are hundreds of wrappers for various sweets and baked goods that you pulled out of the 'hang out' cupboard
>Interestingly, you weren't the one to do most of the scoffing
>This mare really loves her cakes, and even when she attempted to dismiss the offer, you could tell it was a losing battle
>"So, the big metal robot just wants to learn how to make friends?"
>The iron giant on screen dives into a lake, covering the surrounding landscape with a tidal wave of water
"Yeah, but he's just too powerful and scary for others to understand."
>She looks sympathetically at the TV
>"And does he?"
"Well, why don't you just watch and see."
>The movie continues, and your reminded of the days as a child when this was the movie you would constantly watch
>Celestia also seems to be reminiscing about something
>You don't know what
>Finally, you get to the ending scene
>Oh shit, you forgot about this part
>You watch as the battle ensues, the once docile machine destroying the military like it was nothing
>With every explosion, a pair of horsey ears flatten
>Then comes the scene you dread most
>Hogarth confronts the machine, pleading with it to see reason
>It works, and you can see Celestia visibly calm
>But then the enviable comes
>The iron giant sacrifices himself to protect the innocent people of Rockwell from nuclear annihilation
>You watch in silence as the sound of animated explosions fills your home
>Jesus this always makes you sad
>Fucking emotions
>You sneak a glance at across the couch

>Celestia is teary eyed
>Those familiar streaks of wet fir glistening in the low light
>"T-that was s-so sad..."
>You lean into her wrapping her in a tight hug
"Hey, it's just a movie... It's all right."
>"B-but why did he have to die?"
"Sometimes, those you care about are worth the sacrifice... He loved the young boy, and was willing to give up what his own life to protect him."
>She looks back at the TV, which now showed a snowy landscape
>You smile as she watches the robots parts find their way back to him
"Plus, these films usually have a happy ending. This is no exception"
>Her smile returns as the movie ends with the Giants smile
>You swear she's an emotional roller coaster
>Maybe that's a side effect of being tormented for god knows how long
>As the screen blackens and the lights return, you check the time
>It's 29:37
>Time for sleep, you've got a big day of work tomorrow
"Come on Sun horse, let's get you to bed."
>You walk into your room and are instantly reminded of the mornings events
>There's still wall all over the bed spread
>Well that's out of the question
>I guess she'll just have to rake the couch, and you the floor
"Um, Celestia? The room is still trashed, so your gonna have to sleep on the couch tonight. I hope that's okay."
>"But where will you sleep?"
"I'll take the floor."
>She makes a face of concern, looking between you and the floor
>"No, I will not allow you to put yourself through that for my sake. I'm used to the floor, I'm sure I can manage."
"Sorry Celestia, no can do. You're injured."
>"W-we could always... Share."
>Woah
>Where did that come from
"I'm not sure I'm comfortable with-"
>"I'll be fine, I'll just move over to the back of the couch and you can lie in front. Then both of us will be warm."
>Well, you can't argue with that logic
"Fine."
>She budges back across the couch to make room, and you lie down next to her, facing away
>You pull a blanket over the two of you
>"Good night Anon."
"Night Celestia."
>As the lights dim away to nothing, you feel a soft feathery wing wrap around you
>"And thank you, for everything..."

--------------------

>Beep
>Beep
>Beep
>Bee- Fuck off!
>That's your home's way of telling you to wake the fuck up
>You attempt to silence the infernal noise, but are unable to move because of a large feathery blockade
>You suddenly become aware of the horse snoozing quietly a few inches away
>You don't want to wake her, but you also need to go to work
>Horse hugs or no job
>Comfort physically or comfort financially
>Tough choice, but if you lose your job then you won't be able to repair her horn and thus will never find her sister...
>...
>Sorry Sun horse, it's for your own good
>You slowly begin to shift her wing
>Imagine your surprise when she lets out a huff and clamps it back down again, pinning you to her
>"No is okay [Horse snore] Quill, I'll be up in a minute to raise the [Horse snore]."
>You try again, but yield the same results
>It's time for a new tactic
>Horse tickles
>You pick up a lose pillow feather off the ground
>Actually it could be one of hers, you aren't sure anymore
>Bringing your weapon to bare, you begin to tickle her on the snootle
>Scrunch.jpg
>"Buck off Luna..."
>Whats this?
>Guess that's their version of the 'F' bomb
>You move for a second attack, targeting the inside of her left nostril
>"Sister I'm tired..."
>Suddenly, you realize that her wing prison has released you
>Score!
>Leaping up, you make haste to the bathroom for a shower
>It doesn't take long to get squeaky clean and dry
>Moving into your trashed room, you open the sliding wardrobe with a press of a button
>Inside are the flight suits you've become accustomed to wearing
>Nothing too fancy
>A blue jumpsuit looking thing that comes complete with a helmet in case of depressurisation or a blow out of the canopy
>You've heard it's pretty stressful to fly without a canopy, and would rather avoid it if you could
>But a least the event was covered
>Slipping it on quickly, you return to the main space to make breakfast

>The clock says you still have an hour to get there
>If the trip takes 20 minutes and breakfast takes 10, then that means you have 30 minutes to prep for the day
>You whisk eggs and milk rapidly while thinking about what you'll need to do
>You'll need to view the roster of loads for the day, and figure out the best routes to take
>You need to wake up your guest and make sure she'll be good for the day
>Your primary multi-cannon needs an ammo top up, but that can wait until after you pick up your cargo
>You put the eggs on high and run through to the couch
"Celestia! Celestia wake up!"
>"Wha... Who are..."
>A look of realization crosses her as whatever nice dream she was inhabiting wore off
>"A-Anon! I'm sorry I should have gotten up earlier I-"
"It's fine don't worry, but I'm gonna need to go out to work in about..."
>Fuck you're not wearing your watch!
"...Soon. So I need you to get up so we can eat."
>She scrambles out from under the covers as you return to your eggs
>Scrambled nicely
>You serve them up as Celestia rushes to sit at your feet
"Other side, now!"
>"Oh! I forgot."
>You place her plate down on the table and begin to wolf your's standing up
>Noticing this, she begins to eat just as quickly
>You finish in record time, shaving a whole two minutes off your schedule
"Right, I'm gonna have to go out today, so I need to know you'll alright."
>"Anonymous I will be perfectly fine."
"Um, okay then... Do you know where the food is?"
>"Yes"
"Do you know how to work the phone?"
>"Yes"
"Are you capable of using the bathroom?"
>The look she shoots you says enough
"Well okay, I need to plan a route for today. Want to help?"
>You don't know what use she'll be but at least it's something to do
>Pulling out your tab, you open the galaxy map and the trade hub
>Looks like you have three jobs today
>A tonne of spare machinery for a battlecruiser out on patrol
>They must have broken something
>Three tonnes of medical aid kits, headed to Farpoint dock in LHS 3591
>And finally, a batch of non-lethal weapons going to Jamison city in...
>Oh fuck
>Iota
>That system is currently in an anarchy state
>No laws, no regulations...
>No back up...
>You'd better pick up that ammo before you go there
>You'd also best take some of your personal firearms, just in case
>You rise from the sofa and head to the case on the wall
>Celestia watches you with an uneasy fascination
>Bumping in your code, you proceed to pull open the case with a slow yet methodical grasp
>Inside sits a pair of sidearms, one firing plasma, the other regular .45 rounds
>A lot of power for one small gun
>Above your hand cannons is a larger weapon that you really will never have use for
>A specially gifted plasma rifle from the company
>You don't even know why they gave you it
>It's of very little use in boarding combat, seeing as you have very little room to move already
>Unless they expected you to be counter boarding then you really have no answer
>Celestia is standing close behind you, watching you work
>"Why would you need those?"
"Well, I'm gonna have to go deliver supplies to the severely understaffed police force out in Iota. These are just in case things get... Bad."
>"If it's so dangerous, then why are you going?"
"Because it pays the bills, and usually it isn't this bad. Just with the sudden influx of anarchist movements the Feds are a bit surprised, so they call on people like me to deliver supplies where they are needed most."
>"Well... Please be careful. I-I don't want you getting hurt."
>With your pistols firmly strapped in place at your sides, you proceed back to the couch to plot a route
>You decide to hit Iota first, just to get it out of the way
>You'll then get to the cruiser, and deliver those parts, before finally reaching Farpoint
>Looks like a 400 light year round trip
>Not too bad, but with the addition of Iota, you might be in for a difficult time

>Dragging your finger across the screen, you plot a good route between the stars
>Of course you'll need to pick up the cargo first, and that means going to the cargo depot in Kremainn.
>Wohler terminal this time, hopefully they sell multi-cannon ammo
>"Why are you avoiding the brown ones?"
>Celestia is peering over your shoulder as you play a what looks like an extremely advanced version of dot to dot
"Well, the brown ones are what we call 'brown dwarfs', basically failed stars. They don't give off enough energy to provide fuel my craft, so I'm trying to make the route more economical."
>"Failed stars?"
"Like they didn't quite make to star adulthood, and can't produce enough energy to keep the fusion in their cores active. At least that's how I think it works."
>"So I take it the blue and white ones are better for fuel?"
"Exactly, they produce more than enough energy to power my ship, all I've got to do is swoop by and collect it, then away I go!"
>The route looks good enough, and depending on how long you spend at each system, should take between 6 and 8 hours to complete
>Now all that's left is to upload it to the nav computer and go
"Right, I'm gonna go now. I'll be back in about ten hours. There's a place on the way where I'll be picking up groceries and shit, you want anything?"
>"No I'm alright."
"Good good, remember if you need help with anything or just get lonely, my numbers taped to the side of the home phone."
>You walk towards the door, picking up your helmet on the way past
"See you tonight."
>"Goodbye Anon."
>You walk out the front door, letting it slide shut behind you
>It's a short stroll to your courier, which is still parked where you left it
>Right, let's get this show on the road!
>Within minutes the craft is rising off the ground
>You spot Celestia waving at the window, and wave back
>You don't know if she saw you
>Eh, she'll be fine
>With that, you power up the engines and accelerate off into the clouds

--------------------

>The familiar whoosh and groan of your ship exiting a jump overcomes the surreal vacuum of witch space
>The dash display reads Kremainn
>Looks like you've arrived in record time
>Not that you have that much to spare
>You quickly locate Wohler terminal on the nav computer and send the coordinates to your HUD
>It's only 2000 light seconds
>No biggie
>The FSD in the back of your craft whirs to life as you speed past the local star and towards your destination
>This is the part of your job you really enjoy
>Just you and your ship coasting through space
>You find it relaxing
>Not that you are able to relax with your current battle against the clock
>A battle which you seem to be losing
>Fucking hurry up!
>In the distance you notice the presence of two large gas planets
>They have expansive rings filled with rock and ice
>Also pirates
>Lots of pirates
>"Attention! Incoming mission critical message!"
>Your ships computer announces the arrival of a message from your boss
>Did you run out of time?
>Nope, you've still got four... Three! Three minutes!
>You've still got a travel time of two, leaving you one to dock
>Without a docking computer...
>Fuck...
>You turn your attention back to the message
>It's a text file that simply reads 'U on ur way?'
>You bang out a similarly abbreviated message
>'Ye im just a sec away.'
>Feels good to be professional
>A ping tells you it's okay to drop out of supercruise
>Good shit
>A short moment later a blast of energy gives way to your sub light engines
>Ahead, you can see Wohler, the large polygonal station spinning silently in the void

>"Gutamaya Echo X-Ray Oscar, please observe station procedures before attempting to dock."
"Yeah yeah give me a minute."
>You flick a few switches before opening the contacts panel to request docking
"This is Imperial Courier Echo X-Ray Oscar, requesting to dock for pickup of cargo."
>There was a short silence, presumably as the woman in flight control yelled at her coworkers
>"Affirmative, request granted. Please land at the designated pad, keep your speed low and make way for larger vessels."
>You were to go to landing pad 42
>And you had 30 seconds to get there
>Gotta go fast (within regulations of course)
>You approach the mail slot shaped opening at the stations entrance, flinching a little as you pass the through the shields
>That shit makes your hair stand on end
>42 has been marked on you HUD in blue, making it easy to align for landing
>The bleeping of your docking systems is unbearable, but you land like a pro regardless
>Well, you kinda were a professional courier
>But fuck everyone else, you didn't even hit the control tower once
>That's a success
>"And that's touchdown, ground crew dispatched, we hope you enjoy your stay pilot."
"Thanks control, it's good to be here."
>You rise from your seat and move to exit the craft, taking care as you descend the stairs
>You feel a lot lighter, but that's probably due to the difference in gravity between Wohler and your home planet
>A crew of 6 workers in a tug appear, and begin the short process of loading the cargo into your small bay
>You watch them work in silence, before a hand on your shoulder makes you jump
>"I see you're actually on time, I guess my message really got through to you, eh?"
>Your boss, a short stocky man in a high end looking suit, has appeared.
"Uh... Yes sir."
>"Look, I'm sorry about last night. I found out about what those interns had been up too, needless to say they won't be doing it again. There's no way I was gonna fire a pilot as good as yourself."

"It's fine sir, honestly. I've just had... Something, come up recently."
>He raises a perfectly kept eyebrow at you
>"What sort of something?"
"It's nothing really, just... Someone who's staying with me."
>Oh shit he's grinning at you now
>"Do my ears deceive me, or has Anonymous actually found a fucking girlfriend?"
>Shit, damage control time!
"W-what?! N-no it's not like-"
>"Gah, stop your yammering. This'll be good for you! Take it from me..."
>You don't want to take anything from him
>"You gotta get out more Anon, and this sounds like a perfect opportunity. Take your gal out and show her the stars! And maybe get something in return if you know what I'm saying..."
>You feel like mentioning the fact that sex in zero gravity is unrealistic, but that doesn't matter because you haven't got a fucking girlfriend!
"Err, thanks sir, really."
>"No problem kiddo, and just remember, if there's anything I can do for you, you need only ask."
>You look at the cargo care as they finish loading, and suddenly remember the other thing you needed
"Um yeah, about that, does this station stock Multi cannon ammunition, I need a top up."
>He just looks at you with a bored expression
>"Are you fucking serious? I go through with that whole speech and the only thing you can think to ask me is whether we have any ammunition for the autocannon on the front of your ship?"
"Yes."
>"You are a sad sad little man, but yes we do, any particular preference?"
"25 millimetre will do fine."
>"We'll have that wheeled out for you in a moment, good luck pilot."
>You give him a salute as he leaves
>Sure, he could be a dick sometimes, but you were glad he at least had a level head
>Those interns however... They were gonna pay
>You make your way back on board to check your courses
>Iota was first, as planned
>Maybe the pirates would just ignore you
>You didn't have anything of value on board, and your ship was soon to be well armed
>The question is would they care?

>You are going to be carrying weapons, weapons that will be be used against boarding parties
>Pirates do lots of boarding, and it may be within their best interest to get rid of the weapons that will be used against them
>...
>Eh, maybe you'll just go unnoticed
>A rap on the side of your ship signals that the cannon is fully loaded
>Your systems confirm a whole 2100 rounds are present
>That should be enough to fend off any attackers, and you'll always have your lasers as a backup
>You wait until the ground crews are clear of the pad, before initiating the start up process
"This is landing pad four two, requesting permission to leave the station"
>There's a crackle as the tower crew pick up their microphones
>"Permission granted pilot, proceed with caution. May we thank you for visiting and wish you a safe flight."
>You doubt any of the next two hours will be anywhere near 'safe', but it's got to be done
"Thanks control, have a good day."
>You shut off the radio and focus on exiting the station
>While you were on the ground, multiple larger ships have appeared
>They must be in a hurry, as a traffic jam has formed at the station entrance
>Parking up behind a Fer-de-Lance attack craft, you wait patiently
>Holy Jesus that thing has a lot of guns
>You wouldn't want to get on the wrong end of one of those
>Eventually, the queue starts moving, and you find yourself outside of the station
>"Attention pilot, no fire zone cleared, station permitter exceeded, have a good flight."
>You wonder what Celestia is doing
>Probably cleaning, or watching TV
>Most likely the latter
>You'd better get this over with
>"Frame shift drive, charging."
>The bar in the middle of your heads up display begins to fill
>"Ready to engage."
>You pump the throttle, disappearing in a flash of light and a trail of smoke

--------------------

>You gaze out of your canopy at the swirling colors and endless void of witch space
>It's so beautiful, yet remains completely unknown to your kind
>Maybe one day humanity will come to understand the technology they've been using for hundreds of years
>You don't think you'll ever live to see it
>But the thought is nice
>Certainly nicer than most of the other thoughts your negating
>Celestia weighs heavily on your conscience
>You wouldn't normally be so worried, but if you didn't come back...
>What would happen to her?
>You promised yourself you would fix her, make her better, yet you know even less about her than you do about witch space
>But right now that isn't your main concern
>Iota is fast approaching and you've got to be ready
>Come on Anon, it's just in, and out
>No big deal
>You notice the approaching star is beginning to grow in size, like a heavenly light at the end of a dark tunnel
>Yup, that's pretty bright
>Really brigh-
"Oh shit!"
>You reach across the control panel for a single button that you always forget to press
>Not quick enough
>*BANG*
>You ship rockets out of frame shift
>Right into the radiance of a class O white star
"Fuck!"
>You futilely attempt to shield your burning retinas from the piercing glare as you fumble for the canopy dim
>It takes a moment, but you finally flick it
>The canopy polarizes, making it easier to see
>But that doesn't stop the damage that's already been done
>When rubbing your eyes doesn't clear away the photo-bleaching, you just give up and hope they go away over time
>The radar in the center of your display shows multiple different vessels, most of which are fighters and combat based craft
>Luckily they seem to be system defense force, therefore not a threat
>You still don't plan on sticking around to see what they do
>Jamison City isn't far, but every moment is vital

So far so good
>Most ships are keeping their distance, most likely because they think you're a pirate yourself
>It won't stay that way for long
>300 Light seconds to drop, you notice something on your radar
>A small blip, nearly undetectable
>And it's following you
>You check your sensors
>Whatever it is it hasn't targeted you
>Not yet at least
"Just what do you want..."
>Pirates tend to mock you just before attacking, but this one has made no attempt to communicate
>It's travelling faster than you, and is closing in
>Think Anon! Think!
>What sort of pirate doesn't scan cargo before intercepting?
>...
>...
>Oh...
>One that already knows what they're looking for...
>You punch the throttle, trying in vain to speed up your FSD
>It works a little, but is nowhere near enough to escape the pursuing vessel
>Hurry up god damn it!
>20 Light seconds
>Your slightly outside drop in range
>Just a few seconds longer...
>There's a read out on the comms panel, an incoming message
>5 light seconds
>2 light seconds
>1 light second
>'Gotcha'
>Your ship quakes as an interdiction takes hold over your trajectory
>You can feel and hear the hull groaning under the strain
>"Warning, interdiction alert."
"I know dammit!"
>You fight to keep you ship in a straight line as the subspace rupture pulls you further astray
>You're losing
>Whoever this pirate is they really know their shit
>You feel the the nose pulling to the left, and attempt to center it
>It's not working!
>You pull harder to the right, desperately forcing the ship from flipping
>It begins to pull back ever so slightly
>And then it doesn't...
>With a final groan the courier flips backwards, and you are violently ejected from the slipstream

>"Thrusters, offline."
>"Shields, offline."
>"Weapons systems, offline."
>"Power plant, malfunction."
>The display in front of you flickers off as you drift through space at alarming speed
"Run system diagnostics."
>"No permanent damage, rebooting systems now."
>A ping signals the startup process of the power plant
>"Sensors online. Pilot, I am detecting a vessel approaching high speed."
"What kind of vessel!"
>"Cobra class, mark three. Hardpoints retracted."
>Yup, that's your pirate alright
"How long until system reset?"
>"System startup will be completed in thirty seconds."
>The control panel flickers back to life, cycling through various displays before settling
>The comms panel also comes back, and features another message from your new friend
>'What are those guns for, commander?'
>Shit
>You've got to come up with an excuse, and fast
>After a moments thought, you respond
'Private property, I'm delivering them to a buyer.'
>'That must be why they have Federation tags all over them, how silly of me.'
>You're sweating now, but you have to keep them talking
>Shields are at 50 percent, not much longer
'They're stolen property, federation rifles.'
>'Really now? And why exactly are they on board a Federation tracked courier?'
>Sweating buckets.gif
'The ship is also stolen.'
>...
>...
>'You're a shit liar pilot.'
>Just five more percent...
'Yeah well, you can't win them all.'
>"Shields, online."
>You deliver full power to the engines and speed off, breaking 500 metres per second instantly
>The Cobra is hot on your tail, firing bullets and lasers all around you
>You dodge some, but you shields take the majority
>The Cobra may not be as fast in a straight line as you, but it holds an advantage in a dog fight
>As long as you stay this course, you should outru-
>"Attention pilot, you have an incoming audio request. Open channel three."
>What?
>Who?
"Display caller location!"
>"It's from your home pilot."
>Ooooooh...
>Your suddenly regretting giving her the phone

>There's a crackle as your long range comms patch you through
>"H-hello? Is this thing on?"
"Yeah Celestia, it is. What do you need?"
>There's a rumble as a nearby explosion rocks the ship
>"A-Anonymous? Is everything okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine, just tell me what's bothering you!"
>"Well, I was wondering if I could maybe have a shower..."
>Jesus, really?!
"Yeah, go ahea- Gah!"
>Another volley of rockets tears at your shield, reducing it to 20 percent
>"Anon! What's going on?"
"I'm fine! Just some... unhappy customers. I guess."
>More rockets, looks like the fucker has a pack hound launcher
>"They sound pretty angry."
"You have no idea! But I really need to focus on staying alive, so if you please!"
>"O-oh, okay. So do I just twist the handle thing for water?"
"Celestia it's a fucking shower, of course you do!"
>"I'm sorry okay, your shower is just so confusing!"
"It's really not!"
>You swerve downwards, preparing the FSD for supercruise
>"Why is it glowing like that?"
"Because it's turned on! Now put down the phone and go and clean yourself!"
>The sound of a call hanging up fills the cockpit
>You hope you haven't offended her too much
>"Who's this Celestia?"
>Shit! This is an open channel, and now your pursuer is listening in
"Fuck off you, none of your concern."
>"Well I hope she enjoys being a widow-"
>You disconnect from the channel, silencing the cocky pirate
>"Ready to engage, please align with trajectory."
>Fucking finally
>You pull down, forcing the ship to face the direction of travel
>Your computer gives the regular countdown, and you blast away from the battle, leaving a very confused pirate behind
>"Celestia eh? Now where have I heard that name before..."

--------------------

>"Rough day huh?"
>You watch as the medical supplies are wheeled away on a hover barge
"Ma'am, you have no idea..."
>The overseer of Farpoint dock gives you a small smile
>"Maybe not, but I know the look of a man who's worked hard."
"I just got the job done ma'am, nothing more."
>"Well we are in you debt, this virus has become increasingly difficult to squash out, and it helps to have someone dedicated to delivering aid."
>You were dedicated, but not really in the way she was hoping
"Thank you ma'am."
>"No, thank you commander."
>She turns and begins to walk off, signalling one of her subordinates to fetch your pay check
>The scrawny looking kid approaches, wielding a card reader and a paper notepad
>"Alright that's... 10,000 credits."
>Your eyes shoot open in surprise
>That was a large tip
"You sure you haven't got that mixed up?"
>"That's what it says here, you're Anonymous right?"
"Yeah, that's me."
>"Well then it's for you, so if you could just put you card in here."
>You pull out your universal ID card and place it in the reader
>Did your work suddenly become much more valuable?
>"That's it, now is there anything else you need?"
>This station is pretty big, maybe you can pick up that shopping while you're here."
"Uh yeah, actually, does this station have a marketplace?"
>"Yeah, just take the monorail over there."
>Sweet
"Thanks kid."
>He just turns and waves at you
>You walk the short distance to the rail station, taking care when you cross the central highway
>Look right, fuck left, sprint
>Works every time
>The monorail pulls into the station just as you arrive
>It's not busy, so finding a seat for your minutes journey isn't hard
>"Next stop, commodities district. Please mind the gap when alighting from this train."
>The platform here is much more packed
>Hundreds of people moving around, preparing to board the rail system
>You stand from you seat as the train comes to a stop, stumbling the final bump

>The doors slide open, and the people on the platform part to let you through
>At least they know train etiquette, even if they are all shooting dirty looks at you
>The shopping district looms ahead, it's massive billboards and bright lights beckoning you to enter
>You fumble in your pilot suites pocket for the list you made earlier
>1. Wall stuff
>It's written in early morning Anon vernacular
>Fucking great
>2. Bed for Sunhorse
>3. Food
>4. Another game controller
>Oh yeah, you need to pick up one so Celestia can witness the wonderful world of online gaming
>5. More headache pills
>That's where the list ends, but you'll remember other stuff as you walk, you always do
>You choose to start at the bottom, because you're cool like that
>You scan the environment for a pharmacy
>There's one!
>A big green cross signals a medical shop
>You approach the sliding doors, which open for you
>There's a few people milling about, but not too many that'll take long
>You browse the painkiller aisle, picking up various forms of medicine and putting them in you collected basket
>You don't need this many, but it helps to be prepared, especially since your house now has a second occupant
>You drop a final box of syringes into your basket and head to the till
>There isn't a queue, which is pretty good
>However, something behind the till catches your eye
>They do prosthetics!
>Maybe you could get Celestia a new wing
>That would definitely make up for your attitude earlier
>The young woman at the till grins at you as she scans your stuff
>"Will that be all sir?"
"Uh, actually, you wouldn't happen to do prosthetics for ponies, would you."
>You can tell what the answer is going to be even before she opens her mouth
>"I d-don't think so. What's a pony anyway?"
>That sentence pretty much sums up Celestia's current state of affairs
"Like a horse?"
>"We don't do prosthetics for animals sir, you could always try the vets across the street."

You know she means well, but hearing someone refer to Celestia as an animal makes your blood boil
>You also doubt the vet will be able help
>"I'm sorry about that sir, anyway that'll be 900 credits"
>Fucking pricy space meds
>At least they're more effective that the ones you attempted to make yourself
>Bad memories
>You pay for your stuff and exit the pharmacy
>Taking a deep breath of the filtered air, you begin to walk to your next destination
>You pass the vets, and briefly consider entering
>They won't know what you're on about either
>You pass an alley way
>Wait a moment...
>Back-pedalling, you gaze down the alley with interest
>At the end sits a small and unassuming shop simply labelled EQ robotics
>The lights are on, but you can't hear any voices inside
>Somehow you feel that a solution may lie within
>Probably not, but at least you'll get to look at cool robots
>Walking slowly down the alley, you come to rest at front door
>You raise your hand and knock three times
"Hello? Anybody home?"
>There's a scrabbling sound as someone attempts rise from a chair, followed by the rustling of paper
>"Hang on! I'll just be a minute!"
>Well then
>After just over a minute, the sound of locks unpicking fills the quiet air
>The old wooden door creaks open, revealing an elderly gentleman with a thick pair of specs
>"Can I help you?"
"Um, maybe, do you know anything about building prosthetics?"
>"If it's prosthetics you want then the medical center is that way."
"I-I've been there already, it's not for a human."
>"Then try the vet, they'll have what your looking for."
"It's not for an animal either..."
>...
>The old man narrows his eyes at you
>"Then what, pray tell, is it for..."
"A pony..."
>That got is his attention
>"Impossible, they've been extinct for- wait... Describe it too me."
>Dude, just open the fucking door already
"Well she's big, whitish grey, and has a sun on her flank."
>Yeah that about sums her up
>"By the stars.. Come in, we must talk!"

>The man throws the door open, and walks back to a packed workbench that must serve as his desk
>He's muttering away to himself
>"I never thought I'd see the day..."
"Um, excuse me but, what's going on?"
>"He doesn't know what's going on, how hilarious!"
>This old fucker is obviously past his sell by date
"Riiiiiiight... So could you maybe inform me?"
>"In time, but first you must tell me a few things."
>He's leaning in his desk, twiddling a spanner in his worn old hands
"Sure... I guess."
>"Where did you find her?"
"She was dropped off by a couple of haulers near my home."
>"Did they say where she was from?"
"They just said that all the stuff came from an old guys estate..."
>He stops twiddling the spanner and raises it up to his grizzled chin in thought
>"Did they say why they dropped her there."
"They just said that someone was coming to get it..."
>"And did they?"
>You actually don't know, you never bothered to go back to the boxes
>You just shrug
"I didn't bother to check."
>He seems troubled by this, but doesn't press the issue
"Hang on, how do you know about her?"
>"Because I've seen her before..."
>Wait a god damn minute!
"Are you her previous owner!"
>His eyes widen as he waves his hands in protest
>"No no, do I look like I have the kind of money for something like that? I barely make ends meat here!"
"Then how do you know her?"
>He sighs heavily, dropping his spanner on the desk
>"I used to work for them, when I was younger. I was an on site engineer for their massive home. Occasionally I would see her inside, cleaning or doing other things."
>He places his hand on his head, almost in shame
>"I had no idea what she was or where she had come from, all I knew was that she was some sort of slave. So I decided to do some research."
>You nod in understanding
>He seems to be telling the truth thus far
"I take it all you got was a bunch on redaction?"
>"Pretty much, yeah. That and a physical description."
>His face then grew dark

>"It was going alright, for a time. I would come in to work and she would be there. I'd wave at her and she'd wave back."
>You can see him squirming at the uncomfortable memory
>"I was up late, fixing one of their fusion plants out back, when started to hear these noises, and shouting. I couldn't hear what was being said or by who, but after a while everything when quiet. And then I heard a gunshot."
>"The morning after, she wasn't there."
>Oh...
>"For years a kept on working, just trying to forget what I had heard. I knew they had no real rights, no true dignities, but I felt as though I should do something."
>"Then one day, she was replaced."
>Replaced? How could she have been replaced?
>"The new one was younger looking, and a dark blue color. She did the same jobs, only faster, and with a constant look of fear etched onto her face."
>Luna...
"I think I know her, did she have a moon on her flank?"
>"I think so yeah. But I never really waved to her, and she never waved back. It wasn't long before she disappeared as well."
>He slouches further down his bench
>"I quit a month after that, and devoted the rest of my career to this place..."
>You look around, taking in the sight.
>The workshop is large, with many half finished prototypes littered around
>"But hearing you say this now, that she's alive! I don't know what to say... I-"
"She's alive yes, but barely, when I found her she was in a right state."
>"How bad."
"Missing a wing and a large section of her horn. Both looked like they had been hacked off."
>You gaze at him with a hardened look
>"Oh... Is she doing okay..."
"She's doing fine right now, I had to yell at her earlier for calling me during a dogfight. I hope she's okay."
>"I'm sure she'll understand, but that's not the reason you came here, is it."
"No, I was wondering if you could replace her horn and wing."
>He thinks for a moment
>"The horn isn't too hard of a fix, you'll just need a sampler and an incubator."

>"Her wing however, that's a bit more difficult."
>He pulls out a pad and begins to go through design options
>"From what I remember prosthetics were a rare sight on ponies, as if they were to lose a limb, they would probably just be put down."
>"That coupled with the fact that, Celestia? I hope I'm remembering that right..."
"Yeah, it's Celestia."
>"Yeah, she's a lot bigger than most ponies were, so big in fact that there was never another larger."
>"So any wing prototype would have to be built from scratch."
"So... Expensive?"
>"Yeah... I'd love to do it for free, but believe it or not I actually do have other customers."
"So how much are we talking?"
>"An experimental build like this usually costs somewhere around 100,000 creds, including research fees."
>Ooft
>That's a lot...
>But as far as your concerned she's worth it
>"Come here and I'll give you the stuff for her horn."
>He reaches up onto a shelf, pulling down a box of incubation tubes
>"Take one of these, and..."
>He reaches into a second box
>"One of these."
>You now hold both a small incubator and a sampler
>"There's just one more thing you'll need..."
>Inside open drawer, about twenty tubes of a glowing prismatic substance swirl away
>"When her new horn is fully grown, take of the incubator and open one of these close to it."
>"With any luck she should absorb the contents of the vial."
>You star at the case with fascination
"What is it?"
>"That son, is magic."
>Woah, neat.
>The stuff really didn't get used for anything nowadays, for most of the advancements made from its discovery led to replacement technology that was cheaper to run
>"Since she's an Alicorn, you'll want a couple. Provide her with enough and she'll become self sufficient in generating it."
"I can't thank you enough, but I need to know one last thing."
>"Sure, what is it?"
"Where does this rich family live exactly."
>A grin slowly spreads across his face
>"Their estate is in 3447."
Really now, I think I might go and have a chat with them."
>Plus, they offer your first true lead on Luna, at least until you can fix Celestia's horn
>"Please do..."
"I never did catch your name."
>He lets out a slow chuckle
>"It's Edward Quasar, a pleasure to meet you..."
"Anonymous, but you can just call me Anon."
>You pay for the incubator while he attempts to process your admittedly bizarre name
>"That's an... Interesting name, but I guess Quasar isn't much better."
>You laugh as you walk towards the door
>"I'll draw up some plans free of charge for that wing, and we can go from there."
"How long do you need?"
>"A week tops, I'll just save your ship number so I can get in contact later on."
"Cool, and thanks again!"
>You close the door behind as Edward gets back to work
>"It really is a small galaxy..."

--------------------

>The soft hum of your engines as they break the atmosphere signals another successful work day
>You've got to admit, for all the shit you out up with on a daily basis, you really wouldn't have it any other way
>You pull the ship into a glide over the landscape, a blue field of excited particles building up around the ships nose
>It's late evening, and the sun is just dipping down below the horizon
>The view is fucking spectacular up here
>You never really appreciate how nice a good sunset can be
>The couriers insect like legs touch down on the concrete pad outside your home, just as the bizarre constellations begin to twinkle overhead
>The lights are on, which is a welcome change to the empty house to which you're used to returning
>Now all you had to do was get everything in here, out there
>Shouldn't be too hard, since you've come prepared
>Exiting the ship, you slam you hand onto the cargo bay doors
>They hiss ominously as a platform holding your loot from the day descends
>There's a flat pack bed (of questionable quality)
>A more reliable mattress that is big enough for a horse to sleep in
>The box containing the incubation kit
>Wall plaster and paint
>A small hover pallet
>And lots of groceries
>You load your stuff onto the hover pad and close up the cargo hatch
>Thank fuck for the shopping trolleys of the modern age
>You could only imagine how much worse this would be if it had wheels
>It glides effortlessly up the stairs, and you unlock the door with your key card
"Celestia! I'm home!"
>No reply
>Maybe she's just in the bathroom
>You paler down the cart and proceed further into the house
"Celestia? Where are you?"
>"I-I'm in here, m-master."
>She's back to calling you master?
>That's a bad sign
"What's with the title? You know I'm not your- HOLY SHIT!"
>Celestia is lying in the middle of the kitchen floor, multiple sharp objects surrounding her, and to make matters worse, she's bleeding
>A lot.

"Jesus Christ what happened here?!"
>You frantically sprint towards the cupboard, wrenching out random objects in an attempt to reach the med kit
>"M-master?"
"Shhh, save your breath. You'll get through this..."
>You hope
>God only knows hoe much blood she's lost be this point
>"M-master, what are you d-doing."
"What does it look like, trying to save your life!"
>She looks confused and scared, which can be expected from someone on the brink of death
>There's also something off about these wounds
>They're not the serrated cuts you would expect from a knife falling on someone
>They're clean and precise
>And every single one is horizontal
>That's when it hits you
>These...
>These were intentional...
>She did this to herself
"C-Celestia?"
>"Y-yes master?"
"How long have you been like this..."
>"I-I'm sorry, I don't reme..."
>You finish wrapping up her leg, which still has the bandage from the burn at it's end
"W-why? Why did you do this?"
>"B-because I'm suppose too, It's my p-punishment."
>No...
>Oh god no...
>This was your fault
>You did this to her
>"If I'm disobedient, I'm to lash myself across the leg five times..."
"N-no, I didn't- No."
>You give up on words, instead opting to wrap her in a tight hug
>"M-master?"
"I'm sorry Celestia, I'm so so sorry."
>You pull her close, burying your tears in her soft strawberry mane
>Remain strong Anon
>Do it for her
"I-I know I said this before, a-and I know you might not understand... But I swear on my life that no matter what, you will never come to harm while under my care."
>You point with a finger at the far wall, in the general direction of LHS 3447
"That monster, he made you like this. But I swear I'll remake you into the kind and selfless being that I know is in there."
>For emphasis, you plant a finger in her blood stained chest fluff
"But in order for me to do that, I need to know..."
>You look into her eyes with a steely resolve
"What did he do to you?"

>She visibly recoils
>You almost want to back down
>No! You must know!
"Please... It's the only way I can help you..."
>She stares at the ground, unmoving
>Then, after a moment, she speaks
>"500 years..."
"Wha-?"
>"That's how long I worked there... 500 years."
>Woah, that's a long time
>You were well aware that Alicorns had ridiculous lifespans, history had taught you that much, but to work in one singular place for half a millennia?
>That was nutty
>"I was bought by that family as part of a set, at l-least I think so..."
"With your sister, right?"
>"You know of... How?"
"I just looked it up, but please, continue."
>"Y-Yes, I was purchased with my sister, along with another pair of Alicorns."
>Another pair? Just how fucking rich were these cunts?
>"We didn't get to see them very often, they were assigned to another part of the estate..."
>"I was made to do things, like cleaning and cooking during the day, and at night I... I did... Other things..."
>"If I didn't do well, or didn't finish in time, I was made to hurt myself. He would watch me do it, sometimes do more than that... I-I tried not to notice."
>You were beyond angry, transcending above and beyond that emotion
>You made a mental note to shoot him right in his old saggy cock
>"Then one night he brought out Lu- My sister, and told me that he wanted us to... To.. "
"It's okay, you don't have to say it..."
>"I-I refused, and begged him for anything different. So he drew out his weapon, and he blew off my horn and-"
>She's crying heavily, and so are you
>Most of your tears come from pure unfiltered rage, but your crying none the less.
>"H-he b-beat me for hours, and told me that I was useless..."
>"I-I wanted to fight b-back, b-but I couldn't. He forced my sister to watch... Then he d-did this to me."
>She raised her wing stump, and you stare at it with trembling hands
>"T-then he forced me into a small space and put me somewhere dark, for a long time..."
>"I was s-so sc-cared, I don't know where anypon- I mean one! Where anyone had gone..."
>The bleeding on her leg seems to have stopped, but you aren't in the right state of mind to make a medical observation
>You don't understand why anyone could possibly want to hurt her
"It's okay..."
>You run you fingers through the shivering mares hair
"It's okay... You're safe from him now."
>When she shows no improvement, you attempt to pick her up in your arms
>You're so angry that you somehow achieve the ability to lift up a horse
>As carefully as possible, you place your bandage riddled friend down on the couch, making sure not to bump her shredded leg
>After a moment, quiet snores can be heard
>You worry about her blood loss, but come to the conclusion that she's stable enough to sleep
>You are going to fix this, all of this
>You are going to find her sister, repair her body and make her better again
>But that would have to come later
>Right now you have a bed to build and instruction manuals to ignore
>Happy days

--------------------

>You are Celestia
>And sleep does not come easy these days
>You used to sleep fine, back... then...
>But now every moment you spend in slumber is a battle of attrition
>Sometimes you dream of the war
>The great shadows of human warships hanging over a desecrated landscape you used to call your home
>Those are the hardest ones
>But they aren't the only ones
>Sometimes you dream of your sister, Luna, who you haven't seen in what feels like centuries
>For all you know it could have been
>When you reach the age you are, years to begin lose their meaning
>The dreams that feature your loving sister are better, but they hurt all the same
>Before you would have known your sisters presence, you would have felt her embrace you as you drifted away to her realm
>But now...
>Now you feel nothing...
>Only pain...
>And something wet on tip of your muzzle...
>With practiced stealth, you crack one of your massive eyes open, and are instantly reminded of your current situation
>Hanging over the back of the couch, your new master snores deeply
>A long strand of saliva extends from his open mouth, occasionally dripping onto the grey fur on the end of your nose
>You take a glance at the clock on the wall, squinting in the low light
>It reads 8:45
>Meaning you should have been up hours ago
>You attempt to move from the couch, but a sharp pain on one of your forelegs cuts deep
>That's right, you're injured...

>You deserved it, at least that's what you tell yourself
>'You're worthless! Just like the rest of your pathetic race!'
>The words of your previous master echo throughout your skull, prompting a headache
>You really did mean nothing, and you had to remind yourself of that, less you risk upsetting Anonymous
>Why did he insist you call him that?
>He was your master, he purchased you to fulfil a role
>He may not have specified what that role was, but it was almost as if he was treating you like a friend
>A human and a pony could not be friends, it would be like a cat being friends with a mouse...
>...
>Then why did you feel like reciprocating his gestures?
>Why did being around a member of the race that enslaved your ponies and burned your world make you feel so...
>Happy?
>You decide to put that issue on hold, for you had a cup of coffee to prepare
>Slipping out from under him, you hold back tears as a searing pain envelops your front appendage
"Come on Celestia..."
>Your words of encouragement barely make it out as animalistic snarls
"You ruled a nation for thousands of years, you will not be bested by a few scratches and a coffee pot..."
>Limping slowly across the bungalow, you spy what must have been your masters late night work...
>A large black bag is propped up near the door, and you can only assume it contains a remnants of his bedroom furnishings
>Another fault of yours...
>The other half of the room is much more interesting
>A new bed looks to have been constructed, and is now positioned against the far wall
>There's a note on the bedside table, which also looks new
>You're now faced with a choice
>Do you make the coffee and then read the note?
>Or do you look at the note before making the coffee?
>Decisions decisions...

>...
>Look at yourself Celestia, you were once a proud ruler of the most prosperous nation in the world, now you're struggling to decide where fifteen extra seconds of your time should be spent
>Maybe you're just out of touch...
>Or maybe you really are just as useless as you think...
>You decide it's best to read the note first, since it's closer
>Hobbling across the space, you begin to make out some of the small lettering
>It's definitely addressed to you, but what could it be abou-
"Ow!"
>Your leg clips something on the floor, causing you to cry out in pain
>It stings deep to your very core, but you bite your tongue to avoid making further noise
>Using your good hoof for balance, you pull your shaking body over to the night stand and begin to read
>'Hey Celestia, it's awake Anon here. I am now likely asleep, hopefully not in too embarrassing a position. This bed, along with the contents of the drawer in front of you are a few things a got to make life a bit easier for you. No doubt your leg must hurt, so please take one of the painkillers attached to the bottom of this note.'
>Sure enough there was a packet of pills attached to the base of the piece of crisp white paper
>'P.S Please don't touch the silver container or any of the smaller glowing vials just yet, they're for when I wake up. Everything else has instructions attached.'
>'P.S.S If you even attempt to make me breakfast in your state, I'll whip cream your eyelids shut while you sleep :)'
>The added smile at the end of the note really helped to convey your masters sinister message
>You hoped he was joking, but something told you he really wasn't, so you decided to stay clear of the kitchen for the rest of the morning

>That left you with a few options, first of which was the application of the medicine
>You detach the packet from the note, and attempt to remove one of the pills
>However the packaging clearly isn't designed for hooves, and even grasping the fiddly little case is a challenge
>After a few minutes of tomfoolery, you get one loose
>It's a small white pill encased in a membrane of an unknown liquid
>It reminded you of frogspawn
>...
>You hate frogspawn
>You hate it so much
>But if this pill was to take the pain away, then you would have to do it
>Remain strong Celestia, you can do this
>Forcing you eyes shut, you shove the pill into your mouth
>It's actually not even that bad
>The outside is made of a plastic substance that slowly begins to dissolve
>As it does, the liquid within gets released
>It tastes odd, but not unpleasant
>You can definitely tell it's medicine, hidden away behind those layers of blackcurrant
>The liquid medication also serves to help you swallow the rest of the tablet
>Instantly your leg begins to feel a bit better
>You had to give it to these humans, they certainly knew what they were doing
>Almost too well
>How they achieved this level of advancement is beyond you
>You think back to the moving picture you watched the other day
>The Iron Giant it was called
>Anon explained that the big metal robot had descended from space with orders to destroy
>It instead chose to offer it's friendship, and formed a bond with one individual who spent time hiding it from the world in fear of what they might think
>When the world found out, they were scared, and lashed out in fear
>And the robot responded, with hundreds of times the force
>...

>Perhaps Anonymous saw nothing in it, for he has no true recollection of what transpired, but that movie spoke to you
>It spoke of a different time when you were a much different pony
>A time when you hid something from the world, despite every fibre of your being telling you it was the wrong choice
>And then they found out just what you had been hiding, and what you had been hiding frightened them beyond anything they'd ever seen
>Two months later you were being sold as property in an auction house...
>And there was nothing you could do...
>...
>You'd been standing still for quite a while now, the only sound present was the soft snores of your owner as he hugged a pillow happily
>You shake your head to clear away those thoughts
>Dwelling on the past would not help you here
>Using your good leg, you pull open the small compartment underneath the top drawer

>Inside are many things, some you recognise, others are completely foreign to you
>As the note mentioned, there is a large silver tube propped up at the back of the cupboard, along with the aforementioned glowing vials
>You can sense their magical potency, calling you to touch them
>But Anonymous told you not to, and you best avoid upsetting him further
>Still...
>What would a human need with magic...
>You choose to push those concerns away, and focus on the other items within the dresser
>There's some very odd things indeed...
>A rod full of clear liquid, with a loop inside
>A small pot with a smiling face and a picture of the sun
>Several books, some seem to be factual while others are most definitely fiction
>...
>A ball?
>No, a strange ball
>It has many spikes, pointing in all directions, and seems to be forged in a multitude of colours
>Grasping it as firmly as you can in your hoof, you bring the ball out of the drawer
>It's light, but made of a seemingly durable material
>What could it be?
>Perhaps if you were to throw it into the air, like one might do with a ball, then a special trait will be revealed

>With little hesitation, you toss the rainbow painted contraption into the air
>Suddenly, it triples in size!
"Wha-"
>Then it hits the floor, and is small again
>You are confused
>The ball was one size, and then another
>How could that be?
>You give it another experimental toss
>It grows, and then shrinks
>Sorcery!
>You lean into the ball, scrutinising it from all angles
>Where did all that extra space come from?
>Was this what the magic was for?
>So many questions...
>You give it a small sniff
>Nothing really to smell
>You decide to give it one final throw
>Using your mouth to hold it in place, you swing your head back and release the sphere over your head
>It vanishes from view, presumably behind you
>But then...
>*Crunch*
>Oh buck

>The magic ball has landed on the end of your 'horn', sliding down the fractured base
>It extends outwards as it does so, until the sphere encompasses your entire head, like a netted helmet
>You shake your head to get it free, but the motion only causes it to tangle further into your messy hair
>It's stuck good, and you have no hope of releasing it without your magic
>...
>Anonymous will not be pleased
>You let your foal like curiosity get the better of you, and now one of his gifts is wedged over your thick skull
>With a defeated sigh, you move on the rest of your new possessions
>Oh how the mighty hath fallen

--------------------

>Be Anon
>Be lying stretched over the back of your couch
>It's not in any way comfy, but you're pretty sure you didn't care when you first found yourself there
>You have a thumping headache, one part due to the amount of cheap alcohol you presumably downed the previous night, another part due to the awkward angle at which your head is positioned
>What time is it?
>What day is it?
>You drop the pillow you had been drooling over and shakily get to your feet
>The living room is just as you left it
>Covered in crap
>You can't even remember why you built that bed...
>Did you have people over?
>No...
>You don't like people...
>Then why is there a bed?
>You stumble your way over to the kitchen
>You need coffee
>Perhaps you should hire someone to make you coffee?
>...
>Nah, that's stupid
>You have a coffee machine for a reason...
>The sounds of grinding gears and boiling water soon fills the small room
>For all your race's technological prowess, they really couldn't make these bloody things any louder
>After what feels like a millennia, a soft ping signals the completion of your beverage
>A cap on the top of the machine raises, ejecting the depleted coffee capsule onto the floor
>Why does your house hate you today?
>You bend down to retrieve the container, your tired back cracking out the entire Federation anthem drum line with little effort
>You swear they must have chipped you to make that happen
>Or maybe you just hear the catchy and tremendously patriotic jingle in everything nowadays
>Without further delay, you approach the garbage disposal unit to discard the empty capsule

>The lid folds up to reveal an alarming sight
"That's a lot of blood..."
>Your first instinct is to check over your own body, making sure you aren't missing any limbs or vital organs
>Not today, thankfully
>But that begs the question...
>Who's blood is it?
>You rub your temples, attempting to call back information that was stolen by, as your mother would call it, 'substance abuse'
>Nope, nothing
>Then, something pink catches your eye
>It's hair, balanced neatly on the edge of the bin lid
>Pink hair...
>Who the fuck has pink hair?
>Wait...
>OH SHIT.mp3
"Celestia?! Where are you?!'
>How the fuck could you forget about the talking horse you currently call roommate?
>That's not something you'd usually forget
>But then again you don't usually drink...
>"Anonymous? I'm out here."
>That sounded like it came from the back garden
>Lifting your mug of coffee, you hurry outside
>She's there, that much is apparent
>As for what she's doing...
>Well, maybe horse culture is slightly different from human culture
>"Um... H-hello mas- Anon! Anon..."
"Wah... You- What?"
>That's all you get out before hitting the deck in a fit of uncontrollable yet exceedingly manly giggles

>The old extendable sphere you'd gotten her from a ship hold sale has somehow found it's way over her head, fully encompassing all but her horn in a plastic matrix
>It looks like a diving helmet from the 1700s
>She's sitting on a patchwork blanket in the middle of your lawn, hooves tucked under her body and an innocent smile on her face
>"I-is something wrong?"
"You've got a plastic sphere on your head, Sun horse, I'm just not sure how to react to that."
>You wheeze out your reply between ragged breaths, throat raw from the hearty kek you just experienced
"Aww... That made my day..."
>Celestia just blushes, attempting to hide her face behind her mane
>It doesn't work, only reinforcing the cute
>"I-I wasn't aware of such a thing..."
"That you have a plastic sphere on your head?"
>"Y-yes"
>"..."
"Jesus, you're a shit liar..."
>She doesn't say anything, but continues to stare at the ground
"Hey, you know I'm not mad at you... Right?"
>Her steely gaze remains focused on the blanket beneath her
>You approach slowly and take a seat next to her, being careful to sit on her trailing tail
>You place your hand gently under her chin, raising her eyes up to meet yours
>They really are big, and oddly beautiful...
>For a horse, she certainly doesn't look half bad...
>"A-Anonymous?"
"W-wha- Oh yeah. I'm not mad, so don't beat yourself up about it. Okay?"
>"O-okay..."
>You look down at a few of the books that are scattered around the blanket
>It appears she has been reading one about the stars

"You enjoying the books?"
>"Yes, they're very interesting... Is it true that humans used to worship the sun as their God?"
"Yup, that we did..."
>"Why?"
"I honestly couldn't tell you Celestia, I'm not a particularly religious man..."
>You scrunch up your face in thought, ancient human history was never really your strong point...
"I guess it may have just been what the sun represented, rather than what it actually was. Back on earth, which is where we're originally from, the sun and moon were very interconnected."
>You see her flinch at the mention of moon
"When the sun crossed the horizon, it signalled the start of a new day, and the moon would conveniently pass over the horizon signalling end of another night."
"People just associated the sun with light and life, and a faith just kinda... Appeared."
>You look up at the sky at the single yellow star and two small moons
"Once we left earth, the sun really just lost it's meaning. I mean, it's not exactly special, just another star in a sea of stars."
>A low roar in the distance signals the departure of another craft, and the silhouette of a large freighter soars away into the clouds
>"But it's your home... How can you just dismiss it like that?"
>You sigh, watching the as the type-9 disappears from view behind a wall of fluffy condensation
"Earth was never my home Celestia, and it never will be... I don't have a home, I don't really belong anywhere. I just am..."
"The moment you make that leap to interstellar travel, the concept of home becomes meaningless... Why bother claiming a home, when there are thousands of other places exactly like it within an hours flight?"
>"It sounds lonely... Not belonging anywhere, I'm just glad I have a home now. With you..."
>You look down at the bizarre horse before you, plastic sphere over her head, and a false look of happiness forced onto her face
>This isn't her home

>Her home was somewhere out there, being sucked dry of its resources by orbital drills
>Chances are the upper layer of the crust will have been completely razed, harvested of everything valuable
>You normally wouldn't care, you didn't even bat an eye when they taught you this stuff in college
>It was just another part of human history for which to feign regret
>But it wasn't just your history, and only now do you truly get that
>This pony, whoever she really was, had seen a lot more that you doubt you ever will
>The trembling smile she wore spoke of war that would make the skirmishes you'd partaken in look like pillow fights
>The scars that adorned her body whispered of hundreds of years of slavery and torture
>This isn't her home...
>You know that...
>She knows that...
>Nothing you can ever say or do will ever change that...
"Come on Celestia, I got you something I think you'll like..."
>"What is it?"
"Come and I'll show you."
>You lead her inside, walking over to the drawer where you left the incubator
>You remember reading the instructions when you were sober, so you should hopefully get this right
>Reaching into the drawer, you remove the silver case, clicking it open with a satisfying hiss
>Inside is both the incubator tube and the sampler for her horn
>She eyes them with suspicion, but doesn't make any moves
>You set them down on the bed and begin to remove the sphere from around her head

>Jesus, she even got it tangled in her hair
>It doesn't take long to remove, and soon the ball finds its place next to the tools on the duvet
"Now Celestia, I'm gong to scan your horn with this thing. I promise it won't hurt, but it may feel a tad weird, so don't be worried about it."
>"Okay..."
>With that you begin
>Tracing the sampler up and down where the rest of her horn should be, the small device begins to form a computer generated image of the required replacement
>You can see her left eye twitch occasionally, but she doesn't look too uncomfortable
>After about five minutes, the device finishes, instructing you to pour around a kilogram of biomass into the incubator
>Celestia watches you work, but remains silent
>Once the biological material is inserted, you lift up the incubator and place the base over her horn
>Four small plates extend out, restraining the base to keep the tube from falling off
>You pull the short end, increasing the length of the chamber to around 16 inches, well over enough
>The incubator then seals, and slowly fills with the nano-fluid that will actually be responsible for constructing her new horn
>You then plug the chip from the scanner into the tube, and a flickering blue hologram of her soon-to-be horn appears

"Right Celestia, close your eyes and I'll take you to a mirror."
>She complies, closing her eyes and allowing you to lead her over to the bathroom
>You position her right in front of the mirror, where you know she'll get the best view
"You can open your eyes now, sun horse."
>You hear a gasp
>It's small, but it's there
"This thing should have your horn back to full working order in a week, tops."
>Silence
"Then I've got some magic that we can use to kickstart your mana production organs, which will be good."
>More silence, followed by a whimper
"Do you... Do you like it?"
>...
>"You... You can actually fix my horn?"
"Um, yeah. I wouldn't have bought you it if it wasn't going to work..."
>...
>"I love it..."
"Hmm?"
>"I love it! I love it! I love it!"
>She seems to explode out of nowhere, bounding around the bathroom like a child on a sugar high
>"Thank you thank you!"
>You really want to point out that she shouldn't be bouncing on her leg, but you're too mesmerised by the cute
"Hey, it's nothing, now all we've got to figure out is that wing of yours."
>She either doesn't hear you, or is too excited to care, because as soon as you stop talking, you're smothered in horse chest fluff
>"Thank you Anon, thank you..."
>Sure, this may not be her home
>Hell, it isn't even really yours
>But if you can get at least one real smile out of a pony who's been through so much...
>Then maybe, just maybe...
>There's hope for her yet...

--------------------

>There's an awful lot to be said about the Lakon Surface Recon Vehicle that most pilots have come to know as the Scarab
>It's small, fast, and dominates the deployable vehicle market
>Its 6WD multi-surface anti-slip tires that feed from a 900 megawatt cold fusion plant supposedly provide extreme grip and control no matter the terrain
>Its fully independent superfluid suspension allows for the craft to sustain a completely level canopy when driving over slopes with a maximum gradient of 45 degrees, and if the object cannot be cleared from the ground, then a pair of high power rockets allow for the buggy to leave the surface and fly over 300 metres in any direction while in earth gravity
>It's equipped with a full suite of scanners and communication arrays, a removable cargo rack with a two tonne storage capacity and a plasma repeater turret that can be remotely operated from over 200 kilometres away
>It was commissioned as the ultimate exploration and reconnaissance vehicle, for both military and civilian use
>...
>Shame you can't drive in a fucking straight line

"Woah!"
>You swerve violently to avoid careering of the side of a cliff
>A similar gasp rings out from behind you, much higher in pitch
>Why did you even consider this?
>Why are you driving along a coastal road in this chrome plated death trap?
>...
>You know why, and you readily accept that it is partially your own fault
>The hyper advanced carbon infused polymers squeal in protest as you round another sharp bend
>Perhaps a small recap is in order?
>Yes, that would be acceptable
>...
>You are still Anon, and for the past week your livelihood has been invaded and controlled by a solar powered horse you found in a pile of discarded boxes
>So far you've managed to cheer her up substantially, so much so that the quivering mess of a mare you thought was the norm has all but vanished
>She still gets nightmares, and goes through periods of stress and anxiety, but you're pretty sure with enough time, and perhaps a few more replacement parts, she'll feel better
>On the subject of replacement parts, the nano-mite construction of her horn has been going just swimmingly
>You're honestly beyond chuffed at its progress
>Most of the horn has been reconstructed, barring the tip, which should be finished by tomorrow morning
>There was a few mishaps, the occasional tube misalignment or fluid spillage
>Nothing too major, and the caution both you and your new roomie have taken to ensure the incubator remains undamaged have seen too that
>That's why you made sure to wrap a good portion of the incubator in impenetrable duck tape, and dilute the solution with bottles of stolen federation office water. For safety purposes.
>Again, there has been no real damage!
>Just a few scrapes and... Smashes
>That brings you up to the current date
>And what you're currently doing

>You fly down a slope, avoiding some of the larger jagged rocks that jut out of this poor excuse for a road
>Almost there Anon
>Almost there
>As it turns out, your new friend has a habit of making the quiet and reserved existence you previously relished, into one of constant activity
>You had to take most of the week off just to stop her from breaking out of the house and causing a public scene
>So today you thought you'd treat her to a small excursion
>There's a good picnic area you discovered a few years back, with a good amount of shade to shield you from the local stars rays, and a pool of crystal clear liquid that you're pretty sure is at least 50% water
>So, safe
>Unfortunately, the only route of access is by 'road'
>This meant that you were forced to rev up the old SRV and head out for the day
>Of course the small exploration craft was originally designed to seat one person, in an air tight bubble, meaning the only feasible way to keep Celestia in the buggy was too...
>"Anonymous! Let me out this instant!"
>...
>Well, stuff her in the cargo hold

"Relax Celestia. It's not much further, just bare with me."
>"I don't want to 'bare' with you, I want off of this thing!"
"Well you'll just have to wait!"
>You spot the familiar turn off towards your picnic area
>It's a small and unassuming dirt road, mostly hidden from sight
>Were it not for your keen eye for detail, it probably would have remained unknown to you
>You slow the SRV to a crawl and make the turn in, the plasma turret scraping the low hanging branches of alien trees
>The dry soil crumbles and cracks as the tires pass over the surface
>It's so quiet out here, so unbelievably quiet
>In fact, the only hint that the planet is inhabited at all are the contrails of departing vessels, and the shimmering spires of a distant city, framed against the deep blue sky
>Peaceful
>You exit into a clearing bordered by vegetation, moving slow to avoid spooking any local wildlife
>Parking the SRV under a patch of shade, you pull the key card from its socket, allowing the engine to power down
>With a hiss, the gull wing doors on each side of the glass canopy open, and you step out into the sunlight
>The calls of miscellaneous creatures ring in the air as the wind rustles through the oddly shaped leaves, creating a symphony of nature
>And the bass line?
>The angry drumming of equine hooves against the inside of a titanium cargo rack

>"Anonymous! Let. Me. Out!"
"Yeah yeah, I'm coming, hold your horses."
>Heh, good one Anon
>Walking round to the back of the buggy, you pull the cargo release lever, watching as spouts of compressed gas erupt from the lines of tubing that serve to pump air into the hold
>Completely unnecessary
>But it looks cool, so fuck it
>After a short while, the smoke clears, and an angry pink clad pony sits in its place
"Hey you, how was the trip?"
>She narrows her eyes and snorts in frustration
"Oh come on! It wasn't that bad..."
>"I've had screwdrivers stuck in places where screwdrivers should never go..."
"I'm sure you'll live, now how about you get out and we'll have some lunch, sound good?"
>She looks like she really wants to object, but a rumble from her stomach silences whatever snarky comment she had prepared
>With shaky hooves, Celestia exits the SRV, jumping from the rear hatch and landing in the soft summer grass
>The bandages that lace her leg glow brightly in the midday sun, standing out against the sad grey colour of her fur
>She wobbles a bit, and you place your hand on her back to steady her
"You good?"
>"Y-Yes, I think so..."
"How about you go find us a place to sit, I'll get the basket."
>She nods slowly, then saunters off with a retrieved blanket under her good wing
>You watch her walk towards the small pool in the centre of the clearing, limping slightly, yet managing to retain a somewhat graceful composure
>It's quite impressive actually, how she manages to carry herself like some sort of princess, despite being an alien slave horse

>Turning your attention away from Celestia, you begin to rummage through the picnic basket you brought with you
>Two sandwiches, one egg mayo for you, and a 'daisy' roll of Celestia
>You had no idea what a daisy was until you ordered some from Galactic Amazon
>It's flowers
>Actual flowers
>Not too strange, considering you were well known (to yourself) for pies containing hay, another common horse meal
>Unfortunately the daisies were untreated, meaning they were unfit for human consumption
>Celestia thought they tasted great though, which is really all that matters
>Also in the basket is a wide selection of baked goods, ranging from cakes to scones
>You caught wind of miss photovoltaics attraction to that class of confectionary after she was caught red hoofed trying to pull your biscuit stash off the top most counter, without you noticing
>It didn't work, and the resulting shocked fall may have been partly responsible for the incubators current, rather rudimentary condition
>Finally, the basket contains a pair of more outdoors-y toys that you had bought in for this occasion
>First, is a scaled down and unarmed version of the popular 'skimmer' security drone, one of the staples of any planetary installation
>It came with an AR headset and control pad, allowing you to see from the drones eyes
>It's also quiet enough that anyone passing by will have a hard time hearing it, and subsequently discovering your secret picnic spot
>The second item is something much simpler, a frisbee
>People supposedly use them as dog toys, and to you Celestia is just a big dog
>She effectively arrived in the boot of your car, damn it
>If that's not solid proof then you don't know what is
>Packing away the contents, you shut the cargo doors and give them a pat of reassurance

>The stars shine down through the leaves, and you are forced to raise you hand to cover your eyes as you walk
>Fucking binary orbit mega brightness
>Never lets up
>Celestia seems to have chosen a spot near the pool, laying the blanket out in a neat square
>She now sits at the waters edge, staring into its crystal clear depths
>You place the basket down on the rug, and take a slow seat beside her
>The small dock that you and your friends had constructed has begun to weather
>That was a long time ago...
>Back before you resigned yourself to the daily grind
>Back when your only ambition in life was to see a galaxy without rulers
>Of course you quickly learned that money might as well have made the bloody universe turn over, because without it, you'd be dead in the water
>So you got a job, and you worked as part of the same order that you stood opposed to for many years
>If you can't beat em, join em
>Unfortunately your familiars didn't quite see it that way, and called you just another government drone
>Then they started to blame your 'addiction' to work on a poor mental state
>As you said previously
>Fuck em
>Their loss
>They probably went on to become pirates or something
>You don't care
>You doubt you ever will
>Turning to your left, you see that Celestia also looks to be in deep thought
>Her brow is furrowed, and her wing twitches idly
>You're tempted to ask about it, but restrain yourself, instead opting to budge up a little closer to her side
>You stay like that for a while, neither of you making any attempt to talk to the other
>Just acting mindful of each others presence

>Eventually however, you decide to break the ice
"You look troubled Sun horse, mind telling me what's up?"
>She says nothing, but meets your inquisitive gaze with sad eyes
>Shit, you must have said something wrong again
"I-I'm sorry, I don't mean to pry or anything. If you don't want to talk about it it's fine."
>"N-no, it's not that..."
>Her voice sounds remorseful, yet laced with a sweet sense of nostalgia
>"You just caught me off guard, that's all. I'm not used to humans, well... Caring."
>You give her a small grin, and usher her to continue
>"I was just thinking about my old home..."
>Instantly the colour drains from your face
>She seems to notice, and lifts a hoof up to reassure you
>"No no, not there! I mean Equestria, my original home..."
"Oh..."
>"Pools like this were common place, and I used to visit them regularly."
>"You see, they often had rejuvenating properties. Magical properties. Some could do amazing things, and I was simply reminded of that time..."
>You drag your hand through the sapphire water, watching the liquid fold between your fingers
"Yeah, this place seems to have that effect on everyone..."
>"Is that so?"
"Unfortunately... Yes."
>"Unfortunately?"
>You smile and give her a pat on the head
"You're not the only one with skeletons in the closet Celestia. Now let's go eat some lunch."

>Refusing to expend the energy required to stand, you make a futile attempt to reach the basket from your position by the pool
>Celestia watches you do this for about a minute before rolling her eyes and getting up to retrieve it herself
>"You know, for all the technological prowess you humans seem to posses, you really are the laziest creatures I've ever encountered."
>You ignore her and start digging through the basket to find your meal
>"I mean, why would you ever need a small robot to do your cleaning when you have a perfectly good set of limbs that can do the job drastically better?"
"Because, we're lazy."
>She stops mid bite to lock eyes with you
"What? You expect me to disagree?"
>"Well... Yes, actually."
"Trust me, if it weren't for the rare few that actually had the drive to do something other than sit around and eat snacks, I doubt we'd even have left the ocean..."
>"Hmm..."
"Hmm?"
>"Is that why you enslaved my kind? Because you were lazy?"
>You rush to respond with a 'no', but hesitate
>She has a point there, did humanity really enslave an entire planet simply because they were too lazy to do housework?
>Perhaps that was part of it, but you feel that maybe there were other reasons
>Equally stupid reasons, but reasons none the less
"I don't know Celestia, maybe..."
"Humans never really gave good reasons for doing things, we're not bound be some great cosmic rule that says all of us have to behave in a certain way and treat others with a certain level of respect."
>"So your telling me that the humans who were responsible for our enslavement didn't know it was wrong?"
"No I'm sure they knew what they were doing, more likely they just didn't care about the consequences of their actions."
>"And do you?"
"Of course I care Celestia! I wouldn't have pulled you out of that box otherwise."
>"You weren't exactly just going to leave you purchase lying in the street were you?"
>You groan and begin to rub your temples

>This had been a common topic of discussion for most of the previous week
>No matter how many times you explained it to her, she simply couldn't understand that you hadn't purchased her, that you had found her
"For the last time, I. Didn't. Buy you! Okay?"
>"You don't have to hide it from me Anonymous, I've come to terms with what I am..."
"No! I- Gah!"
>Instead of continuing the ridiculous argument, you instead opt to cross your arms and face away from her
>"Oh come on Anonymous! You're acting like a foal."
"Fuck you, I didn't spend a single penny on your hungry ass."
>"That explains the new bed and countless gifts I've received over the past few days."
"Do you want me to take them away again?"
>"No! That will not be necessary... I was merely, um, jesting..."
"So you say..."
>She narrows her eyes at you and takes a slow bite out of her roll, the crunching of daisies barely interrupting the fierce staring contest the two of you have going
>It continues for a while, before a sinister grin spreads across her muzzle
>"Tell me Anonymous, how cold is the water in this pool."
"Don't even think about it..."
>"I'm just speaking hypothetically, if one of us was to fall in, what are the chances that we may contract hypothermia."
>She stands from her spot, and before you can object, she has her hooves wrapped around your neck from behind
"I'm not exactly sure how cold it is..."
>You turn your head around to face her, your nose an inch away from hers
"But it can't be anywhere near as cold as the vacuum of space, which is where I'm going to put you..."
>"Is that so..."
>Celestia then leans right in, whispering gently your ear
>"Then I guess I've got nothing to lose..."

>Your eyes widen as she gives you a good hard push, sending your body sprawling through the air and into the water
>The scream of pure rage you emit is almost completely drowned out by the rush of freezing water and the evil laughter from the surface
>Thankfully nearly every electrical item on the market comes waterproofed, otherwise you'd be a little more than just soaked
>You resurface and begin to scream obscenities at the uncontrollable mare
>Celestia ignores you, continuing to roll around on her back, graced by the presence of an almighty kek
>She only halts her cackling when a splash of water finds its way directly onto her face
>You lock eyes once more, and you bring your electronic wrist pad to bare
"You're dead Sun horse..."
>"On the contrary, I've never been more ali-"
>A blast of plasma fired from the turret on top of the SRV liquifies the cupcake she was about to stuff in her mouth, sending the charred remains spiralling into the pool
>Celestia just stares in shock at the small portion of cake that remains balanced atop the now blackened end of her bandaged hoof
>Lucky those bandages were there actually, otherwise she would have been in for her third nasty injury, and you weren't looking at her hoof when you fired
"Care to repeat that one Celestia."
>"N-no need for that, I think an apology on my part is required."
"Mmhmm."
>"I'm- I'm sorry for pushing you in the water. Even though it was rather humorous and I don't regret it in the slightest."
"And I'm sorry for melting your cupcake, there, we're even. Now give me a hand-"
>"Hoof."
"Whatever. Just help me out."

>She reaches out to you with her good hoof, and you use it to pull yourself out of the water
>After standing away from the  blanket, you immediately remove your hooded top and t-shirt, hanging them over a trailing branch to dry
>Celestia watches with an almost frightening fascination, tracing your every move with her large, magenta eyes
>This alarms you, partially because you're an awkward fuck, but more so because you're not exactly at the peak of human performance
>Of course you had to be at least semi fit, otherwise the federation would deem you incapable of piloting a spacecraft, but your body is no temple
>However the empyrean equine is giving you more than just a once over, and you honestly have no idea what to do
"Um, you okay there. Something behind me got your attention?"
>"What? Oh... Sorry it's just, I've never really seen a human without protective garments, I just had no idea that you would look like, well that..."
>Your mind flashes back to what she told you about her previous master, as well what you saw for yourself
>She seems to catch on fairly quickly
>"My old master, he would never undress when he... 'Used' me. I only ever saw his, member..."
>Ew
>Fucking nasty
>From the look on Celestia's face you can tell she shares your feelings
"Well, this is what a human looks like, I'm sorry to disappoint you."
>"I never said you looked bad, just... Different."
"Eh... Thanks, I guess..."
>You were planning on removing your shorts too, but since she seems so interested in your physical appearance you decide to keep them on, just to be on the safe side
"In any case, I brought some stuff that I think you'll find interesting..."

>You reach into the basket and retrieve the drone and it's peripherals, switching it on as you do so
>The red light that serves as the photo receptor flickers on, and begins to scan its surroundings
>"What is that? Some sort of camera?
"No, it's a drone..."
>"Doesn't look like a drone to me..."
"And you would know what a drone looks like?"
>"Well I've met Changelings before, and doesn't look like one."
>What the fuck is a Changeling?
>Sounds like some more magic tomfoolery to you
"Changelings? Never heard of them."
>"Your species did invade my entire planet, correct?"
"Fuck if I know sun horse, my great grandparents weren't even a thought when that happened."
>"Well, changelings are like ponies, only more... Aphidian, in nature."
"So, bug horses?"
>"Correct..."
"Neat... Anyway, this isn't that kind of drone."
>You pull out the controller and headset, and begin to tune it to the right frequency
"Think of this as an eye in the sky, it allows you to see places without actually being there."
>"So, a scrying spell?"
"I'm just going to pretend I know what that is..."
>"A spell that allows you to see places, without actually being there, perhaps?"
"Shut up and put that headset on."
>Celestia takes the headgear with a huff, and struggles to fit it over her muzzle
>When she finally manages to get it on comfortably, a look of concern crosses her face
>"I cannot see anything, is that normal?"
"It is when the headset is switched off..."
>You flick the button on the side of the set, and a red light begins to flash
>A similar red light also begins to flash on the drone, and after a moment both LEDs turn blue
>"I can see something! Everything is green!"
>With a chuckle you pull the drone out of the grass, and face it towards her

>"Wait, that's me! Is that what I look like with this thing on?"
>You pull the controller over and start up the drones duel repulsor engines, allowing it to float in place
>The advertisement really wasn't joking, the thing is practically silent, just a slight hum and a soft jet of hot air
>You look down at the small screen the controller provides you with, and strafe the drone down across the pool
>"Woah, where is it going?"
"It's going where ever I tell it too."
>"And where are you telling it to go?"
"I dunno, somewhere."
>She's probably narrowing her eyes at you again
>"I don't know if you can tell, but I'm scowling at you."
>Yup
"Good for you, now watch this!"
>The small craft pulls up over the bank foliage and rockets into the sky, clearing the canopy in an instant
>You guide it along the tops of the trees, weaving between outcrops and branches
>Celestia's jaw seems to have slackened somewhat
>It's a good look for her
>"It's- it's beautiful out here..."
>You hum in agreement, swinging the drone around to face the distant towers of the local cities
>"That place is huge! Is that the capital of this nation?"
"No actually, the planetary headquarters are on the other side of the world..."
>"And they control everything?"
"Nah, most of our laws and legislation comes from the galactic Federation, the planetary council just decides where best to divert funding."
>"So they only control where the money goes?"
"Precisely."

>You peel your eyes away from the screen to look at your horse roomie
>She's thinking about something rather deeply again
>You don't no whether this is a normal thing for her, or she's just relishing the gift of free speech and thought for the first time in a while
>"I-I see something..."
>Is she using her magical force powers to trigger visions?
>Neat
"Don't go into the light Celestia.... Wooahhhahaha!"
>"No, I actually see something..."
"Is it god? The dead?"
>"No you featherbrain! On the camera thing!"
>Feather brain?
>Must be a pony insul- Wait what the fuck did she just say?
>You look back to your drone screen and come crazily close to shitting yourself
"Oh crap!"
>You force the drone into a steep dive, just barely avoiding the Cobra mkIII that rushes over your heads at mach 2
>The sound follows a few moments after
>*Fwooooooooosh*
>Jesus you forgot how loud those things are
>Your ears are ringing from the noise...
>No, wait...
>That's just Celestia screaming
"Celestia!"
>She's waving her hooves and one remaining wing around like a madmare
>It's actually rather difficult to get near her because of the many punches being thrown your way
"Hey! Celestia! Celestia it's okay!"
>She's not paying attention to you, so you do what's best and lunge for the headset
>Luckily you find purchase, and manage to remove the device from the Alicorns head
"You're fine! Look..."
>She blinks for a couple of moments, her eyes adjusting to the new environment
"It wasn't you... You're okay."
>"I- I-I-"
"Shhhh, it's okay... Just breath..."

>She's shaking, violently...
>You can forget how disorientating VR gear can be, especially with all the sensory stuff they cram into it nowadays
"It wasn't real Celestia... Well... It was, but the point is you're fine..."
>She doesn't reply, so you cast you head up to the sky and silently curse the fuckers who were flying that thing
>As far as you're aware they were violating quite a few terrestrial laws
>Minimum altitude...
>Speed limits within 30 kilometres of a populated area...
>The list goes on
>But in order to lawfully fuck what had to be a pair of kids out in their dads ship...
>Well, you'd have to bring up your special horse in court
>And that's not worth it...
>You feel the light brush of hair leaning against your side
>Celestia appears to have closed the gap between your bodies in fright
>Holy shit she's cute when she's scared
>That's not really something you should be thinking, but that doesn't change the statements validity
"Come on you..."
>You place the controller down at your side and wrap her in a (semi) wet hug
"I promised you'd be safe... Didn't I?"
>She nods, her head buried into your chest
>Is this something ponies do? Nuzzling?
>In any case, you're really glad you remembered to wear deodorant today
"Well, when have I broken a promise?"
>Shit, you did just eyeball live ammunition at her...
>And you haven't exactly been very careful with her in regards to her overall wellbeing, bringing her here in your SRV cargo hold and all...
>Fuck... You must be a shitty 'roommate'
>She seems to know it too, if the tear ridden deadpan she's giving you is anything to go by

"You know what, don't answer that... The moral is, I'd never let someone else hurt you, only me, and yourself... And the occasional low hanging branch or doorframe..."
>You pat her on the head awkwardly and detach yourself
"Better?"
>Her breathing seems more normal now... So that's progress.
>"B-better..."
"Good stuff, now... How about we go get that drone before we lose-"
>You're cut off by the sound of your phone ringing
>A quick check reveals the number isn't recognised
>Normally you'd write it off as some bullshit ad company trying to sell you ship insurance or claim that one of your loved ones has been diagnosed with another spooky space disease, and thus either ignore it or take the piss out of the operator respectively
>But this number doesn't look like the corporate codes they give to all the poor souls that work in their call stations
>It appears to be residential...
"Actually Celestia, do you think you could be a good girl and go fetch it yourself, this looks important... Just follow the blue lights and buzzing and you should find it in no time
>She deflates slightly, but gets up regardless, strutting across the clearing and into the thicket on the other side

>With that sorted, you turn you attention back to the phone, which is still emitting its hypnotically cheerful tune
>After a moment of hesitation, you answer it
"H-hello?"
>"Hello! Is this A- Anonymous? Is this Anonymous speaking?"
"Uh, yeah, and who might you be?"
>There's a gruff chuckle, followed almost immediately by a hacking cough
>"Sorry lad... It's me, Edward..."
"Edward?"
>"You know me! Edward Quasar! I run the old robotics shop, you came to me about a prosthetic..."
>Oh...
>Oh!
>You know this guy! He's the one that gave you all the stuff for Celestia's horn
"Oh! Fuck, yeah, sorry man... It's been a long week."
>"I can imagine, but I'd watch that memory if I were you, you might end up as senile as me!"
>He follows up the somewhat weak joke with another round of laughter, followed by more coughing
>"Right... I was just calling to see about the progress of that horn replacement, I take it it's going well?"
"In a manner of speaking..."
>He hums disapprovingly
>"In what manner are we speaking?"
"The manner that means it worked, so you don't need to worry about the finer details..."
>"You broke it, didn't you..."
"N-no..."
>"Do you need a replacement?"
"I said it's fine, she's good..."
>The phones speaker emits a sigh of disappointment
>"Well, disregarding your lack of care for basic maintenance, I have made some designs for a wing I'd like you to take a look over... I trust you know enough about aeronautics and aviation to understand just how ridiculous these were to come up with..."
"I've paddled in the subject..."
>"Well then prepare to swim, these designs are far passed the deep end..."
"Duly noted..."
>"I'll transmit them now... You've got your receiver on right?"
>A fleeting glance at your SRV dash reveals that the onboard computer is still primed from all the radio broadcasts you listened too on the way here
"Yeah, it's on..."
>"Transmitting now..."

>A few moments pass, and your inbox lights up with a subtle ping
"I got 'em."
>"Good stuff, now I should probably get back to work... These robots aren't going to build themselves..."
>Huh...
>You're pretty sure they do actually build themselves, but he must make all of his by hand
"Wait... Before you go, do you want to talk to her? I mean, I'm sure she'd remember you..."
>The phone goes quiet for a moment, the old man clearly giving your proposition some thought
>"It's probably best if I don't... I don't want to trigger any nasty memories, you know?"
"I'm sure you wouldn't... She might be happy to hear from you..."
>"No... I don't want to risk it... If I talk to her it has to be face to face..."
>Huh... You kinda respect that sentiment
>With the advancement of technology you hardly ever actually see anyone, only through monitors and voice calls...
>Not that you have many people to see
"Okay... I guess. I'll take a look at those designs later..."
>You think you can see Celestia coming out of the bushes
"And thanks... You know for doing all this..."
>"I'm not doing it for you Anonymous... But your gratitude is appreciated."
>Before you can reply, he hangs up the call
>Rude
>Celestia has started to cross the clearing towards you, the drone clamped firmly between her teeth
>The muscles around her neck and jaw seem to be strained, attempting hold the relatively heavy object up

"Does that not hurt?"
>"Nhmhhmmm mhmm."
"Spit out the drone, and try again..."
>She places the aircraft down in the grass and speaks
>"I'm used to it..."
>Of course she is...
>You don't say anything, preferring just to sit in silence as the suns make their way across the sky
>Celestia lies down next to you, and for next couple of hours you simply bask in the tranquility of your location
>"Anonymous, look..."
>The soft voice of your companion rouses you from your peaceful state
"Hmmm?"
>She simply points towards something out of view
>Above the canopy, a small creature apon a set of golden wings, glides in the wind
>You instantly recognise it as one of the fabled sol tracer moths
"Huh... Neat..."
>"They seem to follow me everywhere..."
"Maybe you're like secretly their leader... You know, their queen."
>"Moths don't work like that Anon..."
>A strong gust of wind picks up, and the moth is blown away, the sky growing slightly darker under the shadow of approaching clouds
>Shit
>You forgot the weather reports listed a 50/50 chance of rain this evening
>Humans have learned to travel the stars, and harness the very energy that drive them, but they still cannot predict the weather
"Looks like a storm is brewing... We should probably get home..."
>"Oh... Alright..."
>You get up off the blanket, and retrieve what you can carry from grass, making sure to pull your clothing off the branch and slip it back on
>Once everything is out of the way, Celestia uses her forehooves to roll the blanket into a tube, and place it under her wing

>The two of you return to the SRV just as the first drops of rain begin to fall
>Water bounces off the chrome surface as you tediously load the cargo hold in a strategic manner to give Celestia enough room to move around
>She fusses over you the whole way through it, claiming that she's fine, and that you're getting wet
>Finally, it reaches a point where it can be considered comfortable for a being of her size
>"Anonymous, you didn't need to do that..."
"I know, but I wanted too... So that's that..."
>By this point you're both soaking, but luckily for her the cargo hold has a decent heating unit, so she'll be dry in no time
>You on the other hand, well, you get whatever heat wafts through the vents
>After securing her within the bay, you close the doors and take the short walk round to the front of your SRV
>Droplets of rain slash against the windscreen as you open the gull wing door and slide inside, leaning against the warm air from the hold
>It's really begun to pick up, with your pool quickly expanding into a lake before your very eyes
>When it rains here, it really rains
"You all good back there?"
>"I am fine Anon... Are you okay?"
"Okay enough... I'll drive a little slower this time, so you should bounce around too much..."
>"It's appreciated, thanks."
"Don't mention it..."
>The windscreen wipers come on, clearing your view of the glade outside
>There is now a torrent of water flowing between the wheels of your SRV
>You better bug out quickly before some of that accursed mud forms, and you get stranded
>You power up the fusion drive, and the vehicle begins to whine, the metal studded tires gripping the soft earth with ease
>After a short scramble, you're back on the road, heading for home

>An hour or so later, you pull into your driveway
>The rain has gone off, but the sky is getting darker, a twilight haze descending across the land
>You park the buggy under your ship, and remove the keycard, shutting down the engine
"Celestia... Celestia we're home..."
>No response
>You exit the pilots bubble and approach the back of the vehicle, opening the cargo hold once more
"Heh... Of course..."
>Celestia sits in a pile of crumbs and discarded wrappers, having broken into the picnic basket and eaten the vast majority of the remaining treats
>The best part is, she's now fast asleep...
>Not for long
"Come on Sunhorse, let's get you inside..."
>When she doesn't instantly heed your call, you give her a gentle shake
>This is more effective, and a pair of large magenta eyes flutter open
>"H-hello Anon..."
"Hello you, we're home... I would offer you some dinner, but you seem to have taken care of that for me..."
>Her cheeks grow slightly red, and she avoids your gaze
>"Well I couldn't let it go to waste... No perfectly good confectionary should go uneaten..."
"With that attitude I'm surprised you've not got diabetes..."
>She rolls her eyes and climbs out of the boot, landing on the gravel with a soft crunch
>You shut the doors behind her, taking the basket with you, and initiate the SRVs auto dock sequence, allowing your courier to pull it into the hold
>With that done, the pair of you walk up the garden and enter your home, which feels infinitely warmer than the cold and humid outdoors

>You wipe your feet on the doormat, which has an imprint of the Federation logo
>Heh, that'll show them for hiring such shitty interns
>Celestia yawns, raising her hoof up to her mouth as she does so
>"Oh my... It seems our little escapade took more out of me than I realised..."
"It would seem that way..."
>The door closes behind you with a whoosh, and locks
"Would you like a mug of anything? Coffee? Hot chocolate?"
>"Don't trouble yourself Anonymous... I can get them... Just take a seat on the couch..."
"Don't even think about it, you've done enough today..."
>"Nonsense... I'm only fulfilling my purpose, you treated me to a day out and sandwiches, which were lovely by the way, and now I'll make you some coco... That's how it goes Anon..."
>A sigh of defeat escapes your lips
"You don't need to keep doing this Celestia... You don't have to bend over backwards to serve me... I don't exactly deserve it..."
>She's already made her way into the kitchen, and is pulling a pair of mugs out of the cupboard
>"I'm not bending over backwards for you Anonymous. Not only am I physically incapable of such and action, but I feel that you've seemingly come to terms with all my quirks and habits. I know I'm not easy to have around, and I know that sometimes it can be hard to open up ones home without gaining something in return... So I feel it fit to help out now and again..."
>Using only her wing and one free hoof to push things around on the counter, she manages to inexplicably place both mugs into the machine and flip it on
"You do more than just help Sun horse, and for what it's worth, I'm glad to have you..."
>The machine pings, and the mugs are ejected onto the platter, compete with chocolate shavings and marshmallow
>"And for what it's worth, I'm glad to be here..."

>She scoops up the tray, and walks past you on three hooves, still limping slightly
>The platter finds its way onto the coffee table in front of the TV, and she takes a seat on her established half of the couch
>She drags the TV remote over and flicks it on, allowing the daily news to play, before patting a spot on the couch next to her
>You approach slowly, and take a seat next to her, passing her a mug while simultaneously latching on to your own
"I'm sorry by the way... About... You know, shooting at you..."
>"No need to apologise Anon, I had it coming..."
"You really didn't... It was stupid, I could have seriously hurt you-"
>"Shhh..."
>She places the hoof that isn't holding her mug on your mouth, silencing you
>"It's fine, I know you meant nothing by it..."
>The news is looking as grim as ever, and you can see one of her ears flickering towards the speakers every time the presenter mentions missiles or railguns
>"I know cruel Anonymous, I've witnessed it with my own eyes, even before you humans found us, our world was crawling with it..."
>"Villains that would impersonate us, steal our power and our abilities, raise chaos across the land... We stood strong against them, but I saw how cruel they could be..."
>The woman on the TV is showing a clip of the Farragut class battlecruiser 'Deliverance' firing a salvo of nuclear warheads at a planets surface, the dim light of distant explosions appearing under the clouds
>"It's rather sad actually... I grew so used to winning, that when your species arrived I though you weak and disorganised, hiding inside your floating cans and suites of metal... All it took was a little bit of pushing back and-"
>Another perfectly timed explosion on the TV goes off, emphasising her point
>"... But you... You aren't cruel... Beneath that hard exterior of cynical humour and repressed feelings, I can tell you're a good man..."

"Celestia... We've known each other for a week, you have no idea who I am..."
>"I know Anon... But we sit in the same boat. You know very little about my past, I can tell, yet you still invite me into your home and put food in my stomach. You even repaired my horn. You've shown me trust, and it is a trust that I will return... Along with favours like making coco and doing dishes..."
>Huh... You never really thought about it that way...
>To you taking Celestia in was a bit like taking a in a stray cat
>A very large and clumsy stray cat
>She wasn't something felt you had to place trust in, mainly because you thought she was to far gone to do you any real damage
>Looking back it was a risky move, but you're pretty sure the payoff was worth the risk
"Well, I guess I can't argue with that..."
>She smiles softly, taking a long sip from her mug of chocolate
>"Then don't try, just accept that I'll do these things for you... Whether you like it or not..."
>You raise your mug to your mouth, and gulp down the sweet liquid
"I think I can deal with that..."
>"Good, now as much as I love our little interactions, I think I'll be heading off to bed... You know, over there..."
"Yes... I think I'll be off too... It's your big day tomorrow, don't want to be tired for that..."
>"I did tell you how thankful I am for that, didn't I?"
"Many times Sunhorse, many times..."
>She grins, and gets up from the couch, wandering over to the bathroom to brush her teeth

>You hear her humming a cheery tune for which you have no name, a sweet melody which you can't help but find catchy
>Perhaps you'll ask her about it later...
>With a tired sigh, you finish the rest of your coco, and rise to brush your own teeth
>After Celestia has finished struggling to use the human toilet, she emerges, and you take her place in front of the bathroom mirror
>"Don't forget to rinse with mouthwash Anon..."
"Yeah yeah, shut up mum..."
>You hear her giggling as she trots away, followed by the rustling of sheets and flump of a pillow
>You finish in short order, and make your own way to bed, wishing her good night in passing
>She sounds like she's already fast asleep...
>Good that, you have a lot of work to do tomorrow
>But for now, you can rest easy knowing there'll be a cup of coffee ready for you in the morning...

--------------------

>Beep beep...
>Beep beep...
>Beep-
>You slam your fist down on your alarm clock
>Beep beep...
>Fuck... Looks like you're not on the ball this morning...
>You try again, this time pressing the exact location of the accursed button
>Beep beep...
>This thing has to be shitting you...
>With a disgruntled sigh, you open one of your eyes and roll over, peering at the clock
>5:34
>Your alarm shouldn't even be going off at this time...
>You pick it up, and give it a shake
>Beep beep...
>No effect...
>In fact, you're pretty sure this thing is 'beeping' one to many times...
>Two consecutive beeps isn't the wake up call you're used too...
>Oh wait, your alarm clock isn't beeping...
>...
>Then what is?
>You sluggishly swing your legs over the side of the bed, and slip your feet into the padded slippers conveniently left there
>Did you leave the oven on again?
>No... As far as you're aware you didn't cook anything last night...
>You trudge across the room and flick on the lights, illuminating your quarters in a soft yellow glow
>Squinting at the sudden radiance, you pull back your curtain and peer outside
>Not much going on out there... Just other bungalows, some with lights, and some with occupants rightfully asleep
>You snap the curtains closed and turn around, reaching for the door
>Being as quiet as possible, you sneak out of your room, and approach the main living area

>You don't want to risk waking your guest, if she hasn't already been roused by the infernal racket coming from somewhere in the room
>Much to your combined relief and dismay, the slowly rising and falling hump that is Celestia remains immobile
>Perhaps she's just sleeping deep, considering the noise seems to be emanating from somewhere in her general direction
>With as light a step as humanly possible, you tiptoe across the room
>Oh shit...
>A new challenger approaches!
>Something flat and circular comes round the side of your kitchen counter, humming in its threatening tone as it fails to pick up even the largest dust particles
>You narrow your eyes at the Roomba, which continues its path of damnation towards your location
>With a practiced grace, you narrowly avoid its path, allowing it to continue onwards
>Phew...
>That was a close one...
>You turn your attention back to the source of the beeping, which has now grown considerably louder
>How the fuck is she still sleeping? Any regular person would have been driven insane by this point, presuming it's been going on for long...
>After a few hesitant steps over discarded items, you reach her bedside, and briefly reconsider what you're doing
>If she is asleep, then perhaps you should just leave her be?
>You can suffer an early morning wake up for her sake, she's already done it for you many a time
>But then again... Perhaps it's better to remedy the problem as opposed to simply ignoring it
>It could be important, perhaps even hazardous, and the longer you stand here, the more likely she is to wake up and see you
>Without giving it further thought, you reach for the wardrobe by her bed, opening it slowly

>Inside, sits a few of the items you gifted her earlier this week
>None of which are beeping...
>You squint in displeasure and raise your head out of the wardrobe, turning your focus towards the bed itself
>With a shaking hand, you reach over to pull back the covers, revealing the tip of the incubator
>As the duvet retracts further, it becomes blatantly obvious to you that something isn't right
>The nanites that had been doing their job for the past week or so, visible as the waft and weave of the pulsating grey liquid within the tube, had ceased their currents
>The grey matter was still, suspended inside the incubator like milk in a jug
>You immediately thrust you hand down, looking for the access panel you used to input the instructions a week prior
>Beep beep...
>Welp, there you go
>Astoundingly Celestia appears to have slept through your ongoing panic attack, a strand of drool linking her mouth to the pillow beneath her head
>Gross, but none the less endearing
>With haste, you pull open the top drawer of her bedside cabinet, and retrieve the instruction manual you placed there for safekeeping
"Let's see... Beeping red light... Two consecutive beeps..."
>Flipping through the pages, you find what has to be the audio cue setup
>'Two consecutive beeps + green light = system reset required'
>Jesus, these are some of the lowest common denominator instructions you've ever seen!
>Anyone who was able to acquire such a device and get it working should know how to read basic galactic English without the help of fucking word equations
>People these days...
>You forego your train of thought to continue reading

>'Rapid beeps + green light = System failure or incubator damage'
>Shit... Green means bad?
>In what fucked up universe does green mean bad?
>Who made this thing? Was it Edward?
>Is he senile and colourblind?
>This explains the mixed messages you were receiving from the tube when Celestia smashed it...
>Luckily it stopped once you taped it up.
>'Two consecutive beeps + blue light = Addition biomass required'
>'Rapid beeps + blue light = Biomass corruption, replace immediately'
>Neither of those apply to the current situation, so you ignore them
>'Two consecutive beeps + red light = Incubation process complete, please remove incubator'
>Oh shit! It's finished!
>You breath a sigh of relief and snap the manual shut
>It's still beeping, but at least you now know why
>You suppose you better wake your sleepy sun horse up before the noise does permanent damage to your conscience
>You lean in to give her a shake, only to have a neat idea
>You rub your hands together mischievously, and lean behind her, turning the incubator off
>The beeping stops
>Celestia's soft snore/whiney hybrids are now the dominating sound in the room
>It's still enough to hide the treacherous activity you have planned...

>You are Celestia, and it's that time again...
>Up! Up! Up!
>You've got coffee to make!
>With perhaps a little too much enthusiasm, you sit up in bed, before swinging your back hooves over the side and reaching for your brush
>The cracks and pops emitted from your stiff limbs as you stretch are as satisfying as ever, and though it's early you already feel a spring in your step
>Not that you can remember why, but that doesn't matter
>It seems spending time around Anon has increased your positive outlook on this strange world you've spent the last good while cooped up on
>You are thankful for that, it makes you feel welcome...
>This is the closest thing to a home you've had in... A long time...
>You hum an upbeat jingle as you brush your strawberry mane, taking care to get as many of the tugs out as possible
>You probably shouldn't be as concerned with this as you are, but now that your appearance is finally back under your own control you feel that it couldn't hurt to try and look presentable
>A jab of pain signals that the last of the knots have been removed, so you place your brush back on the bedside table and get up

>That's odd...
>The lights in the kitchen are on...
>The kitchen lights are never on, not unless you put them on, which you didn't
>The sound of footsteps approaching causes you to blink
>Anon appears from behind the kitchen divider wall
>"Morning Sun horse, coffee?"
>A frown crosses your lips
>Didn't you talk to him about this last night?
"Anonymous, what are you doing awake at this hour?"
>"I couldn't sleep, too much to think about... How many sugars?"
"Anon... Did you wake up just to make me coffee?"
>"No, now how much milk do you want?"
"You look like you've been awake for a while..."
>"I'll take that as a splash then, now where did I leave those bags..."
>You sigh, not unlike a mother with an unruly child
"Anon, you need to go back to bed..."
>"Why? I'm a free man am I not?"
>A small walk across the room, and you now stand by his side, observing the monstrosity he's created
"Be that as it may, what you've made here isn't coffee..."
"It's tea, made backwards..."
>You shoot him an apologetic smile
"Not that I don't appreciate the sentiment, but I think I'll stick to the coffee making, and you stick to what you're good at, sound okay?"
>Anon attempts to stifle a yawn
>"I guess..."
>He half heartedly tips his 'coffee' into the bin underneath the sink, and fetches a new pair of mugs out of the overhanging cupboard
>As you begin to make real coffee, he fidgets and hovers around the kitchen, picking things up and placing them down again in a different spot
>You ignore it, but he's acting weird today

>After a few moments of toiling, you have both mugs made and on the usual platter, which you then transfer to the coffee table and take a seat on the couch
>Anonymous takes a seat next to you, and sips from his mug
"Do you mind if I turn on the TV?"
>"Not at all..."
>Hmm, odd
>You never really understood human television...
>When you first saw it you were amazed! The way the images just magically appeared and moved around effortlessly
>But over time the novelty wore off, and what little TV you saw was often associated with cleaning your previous owners ghastly living room, or rooms, since he had many...
>The news was one thing, they never cover anything cheerful!
>Just 'conflict' this and 'assault' that, would it kill for a happy news report once in a while?
>As for the other content they put on the air, it's truly bizarre...
>You forever fail to understand why anyone could possibly care about the quality of a complete strangers wedding garments
>Perplexing... But at least it isn't the live footage of labour camps you used to be forced to observe...
>A shudder runs down your spine involuntarily at the memory, Anon picks up quickly
>"You cold?"
"I'm fine... It was just a twitch..."
>He shrugs
"If you say so..."

>You both return to watching the news, while Anon takes notes on his tablet of the changes to the 'trade routes' she showed you the other day
>"God, sometimes I wish people would just stop fighting all the time..."
"Sometimes? Surely that's something that you'd wish for all the time?"
>"Not necessarily... If people are fighting, they need weapons and supplies, I deliver those supplies. So people fighting puts food in my, and thereby your, stomach."
"Well I suppose I can't argue with that... Do you not wish for a less dangerous job?"
>He chuckles
>"Nah... I enjoy my job, even if I do get shot at occasionally. I don't expect you to understand..."
>In all honesty you do understand, if only slightly
>Your time as a ruler, especially dealing with the more aggressive occupants of neighbouring kingdoms (and space age civilisations), had taught you that though certain things seemed dangerous, they were ultimately worth doing
>You carried that philosophy right up until you first encountered the humans...
>Perhaps it was for good that you swiftly worked out you held none of the cards
>To think those idiot Gryphons actually tried to strike a trade deal, on their terms no less...
>You know for a fact that they're all long gone...
>If there's one mercy you feel the universe granted your ponies... It's that they don't taste particularly good...
>"Celestia? Hellooo? Anyone home?"
>Oh, you must have fazed out for a minute
"Yes, hello! I'm here..."
>"What day is it?"
"Huh?"
>"What day is today?"
"If I recall, it's Sunday... Why?"
>He frowns
>"Not the weekday you horse, what happens today, why is today special?"
>You think on this
>Why is today special...
>...
>...
>Wait...

>Your eyes travel upwards, crossing as you stare at your forehead
>Anon follows you gaze and nods approvingly
"I-It's done?"
>"It is... I'm sorry I didn't tell you, my plan was to make you coffee and get it started, but you seemed to have forgotten about it..."
>You feel a smile spread across your muzzle
>"Wanna see it?"
>It takes all of your willpower not to grab the human and wrap him in the biggest most grateful hug ever conceived
>You would, but he hasn't finished his coffee, and you don't want a repeat of what happened last time...
"I-I would love that..."
>"I though you might..."
>He shuffles over to you, and wraps his hand around the base of the incubator, sliding open a little panel and fiddling with its technical intricacies
>"Now... Fair warning, your horn may be a little sensitive at first..."
>He grunts awkwardly as he begins to slide the incubator off your head
>"That plays well into what we'll do next, but I want you to be especially careful around doors, trees and other low hanging objects... Okay?"
>You give your head a slight nod, being careful not to throw him off balance
>"Right..."
>He gives a final grunt, and the device separates from your head

>It finds its place on the table, and the human passes you his tablet, which has its camera focused on you
>"How does it look?"
"A-Anon... It's..."
>It's beautiful...
>That's what it is... Beautiful
>The parts of your old horn had been merged seamlessly with the new addition, which extended to its original length, finishing in a sharp point
>No amount of filing could have possibly given a result as perfect as this... Not in a million years
>"Now, I'm sorry if it's a slightly different colour than you're used too... I'm sure with time it'll grow to match what's left of your old one..."
"Oh Anonymous... I couldn't care less... It's perfect... So perfect..."
>He hums in agreement
>"We're almost done... But as far as I remember, that horn isn't just for stabbing, right?"
>You give an involuntary chuckle, choosing to ignore his violent statement and crude language
>"So I took the liberty of sorting that out for you..."
>He gets up, and walks over to your bedside
>"You probably spotted this stuff a while ago, and now that your horn's done-"
>He reaches into the cupboard by your bed, and pulls out the three vials of magic he had stored there previously
>"We can finally put them to use..."

>Wait, what is he saying?
>Surely he doesn't intend to restore your power... No, that's stupid of him, no human would take such a risk...
>"I don't know much about this magic stuff, to be honest I'd rather stay ignorant, but as far as I'm aware you guys kinda need it to tick over properly, so yeah..."
>He's actually doing this...
"Anon... Anon do you have any idea what a risk this is, too you?"
>"No... Uh, will you explode or something?"
"No, no... It's just, humans usually prefer their ponies... Without magic..."
>"And why is that?"
"We become dangerous, a threat... Especially a pony like me..."
>He frowns
>"And are you planning to become a threat Celestia?"
"No I-"
>"Then what's the issue? You sound as if you'd rather stay without it."
>That's the real question, isn't it...
>What is the issue?
>You used to dream of having your magic back, all those nights cooped up inside the prison cell you were forced to call home
>And now, right in front of you, is an opportunity to regain that which you had lost so long ago...
"I'm sorry Anon, I just keep forgetting you're on my side..."
>"Hey... Don't apologise for that, God knows I'd think the same were I in your situation..."
>He gives you a pat on the back, and returns his attention to the vials
>"Now if I remember correctly... All I had to do was open them..."
>You remain silent, tail twitching in anticipation
>"Well... Here goes nothing..."
>He twists the lids off the containers, allowing the magic within to spill out at great speed
>It arcs through the air and makes a connection with your newly formed horn, rushing down its length and into your body
>You can feel your limbs begin to quiver, and a rush of adrenaline overtakes you...

>You are Anonymous, and you are unsure of how intelligent you current course of action is...
>Having just removed the lids on Edwards magic vials, you watch as the plume of prismatic energy makes contact with your pony, her horn vacuuming it up like a sponge left in a sink
>You honestly have no idea what to expect... But from the shaking in her legs and the bright light that shines from her eyes, you are beginning to doubt it's anything good
>Is this just what they do? Do they emit laser shows every time magic stuff happens?
>You can only begin to imagine what their planet might have looked like if shit like this was a regular occurrence
>*CRACK*
>That was a fucking bolt of lightning!
>Inside your house!
>Arcs of whack electricity and spirals of energy are beginning to curl around her, forming a maelstrom of colour and sound
>You back away slowly, stopping only when you reach the TV, which remains on
>Her wing spreads outwards, extending to its full length as the twitching in her limbs intensifies
>The screen behind you begins to flicker, disrupted by the immense amount of electromagnetic interference Celestia is undoubtably spewing
>The air around you crackles and sparks, and the room temperature starts to fluctuate sporadically
>"Uh... Is this normal?!"
>You attempt to shout over the obscene racket she's creating, and you'll be lucky if the Feds don't get called here
>Hell, you were lucky they weren't called last time...

>A bolt flies past your head, striking the wall behind you
>You sigh internally as the smell of singed wallpaper and melted plastic fills your nostrils
>The shit you go through...
>Whatever this is, it thankfully appears to be winding down
>The sparkles in the air begin to fade, and the frequency of her electrical pulses diminishes
>"Alliance- Unidentifi- Pilot-"
>The TV appears to be working again...
>Joy...
>Slowly, her wing settles at her side and she returns to silence, her only moments being the occasional twitch or muscle spasm
>Flashes of magical lighting run up and down her new horn, which seems to be caked in some kind of bizarre blue dust
>Hesitantly, you reach out to touch her
"Celestia? Are you... Are you okay?"
>She remains silent
>As you hand draws closer, you can feel the static fuzz around her form, like a capacitor about too...
"OH SHI-"

>There is a brief moment of still, before an eruption of light bathes the room, humbling even the apparent magnitude of the great white star that had previously rendered you visionless
>It shines for a solid ten seconds as you stumble blindly around the snug looking for leverage
"God dammit FUCK! Why didn't I see that coming..."
>Furiously rubbing your burned retinas, you attempt regain your primary sense
>Things are blurry, smudges of light and shades of blue, pink and green fill your damaged vision
>"Ano- Anon answer-"
>The ringing in your ears is deafening, but with every passing second it continues to subside
"WHAT?! CELESTIA IS THAT YOU?!"
>You can't tell if you're shouting or not... Experience has told you that perhaps this is the case
>"I can hear- -ou don't need to shou-"
>In your tinnitus fuelled blunder, you find your hands running through something soft and warm to the touch
>It flows through your fingers like silk, fluid and ever changing...
>"Anon?"
>The piercing shriek in your ears finally ceases, leaving only your vision to clear
>"Oh Anon. Sit down dear, rest your eyes."
>You feel a light touch guide you, before seating you on what you presume must be the couch
>A brilliant white shape wafts in front of you, a pair of sparkling magenta orbs piercing through the haze of your clouded vision
"Celestia? Is that you?"
>"Yes Anon... Oh I knew I should have warned you about that. How silly of me..."
>Something about her seems, off...

>From the blur alone you can tell she's different, but just how different remains to be seen
>She seems brighter, warmer...
>You rub your eyes again, this time to some effect
>You can now see what has become of the weak and dirty little horse you found just over a week ago
>She is...
>There is few words to describe it actually
>You'd say beautiful, but it's more than that
>Everything about her seems to radiate power and command, yet also an almost tangible feeling of love and warmth
>You stare at her new form on awe, the last ripples of magical energy spiralling down her legs and into the well singed carpet
>"Anon? Anon can you see me?"
"Yeah."
>"And... W-what do you think?"
>What do you think?
>You think a lot of things
>Amazement, admiration, confusion...
>Fear.
"I- I don't know yet."
>You stand up again, with expected caution
>The two of you stare at each other, trying to predict what will happen next
"You're taller."
>"Yes, I am."
"That's uh... Something."
>She almost looks disappointed
"I'm sorry I just, I don't know what to say... I knew you once looked like this, but seeing it in person is a bit of a mind bender."
>You notice her mane  is now flowing on its own, as if pushed by an invisible wind
>"A mind bender?"
"Yeah, I'd ask how, but we both already know what the answer is, don't we?"
>She giggles, causing you to let out an involuntary chuckle
>This chuckle quickly grows to laughter, and before you know it the tenseness in the air has completely evaporated, leaving the two of you in stitches for no discernible reason other than 'it feels good to laugh'
>And laugh you do
>Sure, you now have to micromanage a house filled with weapons, spare parts and an interstellar godlike horse you know next to nothing about
>But this is just one step in your journey, a journey which starts now
>After you've had a shower of course.