My Little Realities: C29 - Getting it Together

My Little Realities: C29 - Getting it Together

>light flows through your closed eyelids
>fuck, must be morning in old P0nyville
>better get up to take care of those statu-
>wait, you're not in p0nyville
>you open your eyes
>why is the world pink
>oh shit hair everywhere
>you shake your head and notice two massive, green eyes staring up at you
>you seem to be wrapped around Fluttershy
>you're still half asleep
>her bed hair is so epic it is blocking pretty much everything apart from her face
"Ummm...  Anon?" she says
>you are fucking melting
>not in the "shitty dialog in hentai" sense, but in the "oh fuck me that is so cute my head is exploding into candy" sense
"Yeah Fluttershy?"
>you brush her hair back
>brushie brushie brushie
>she is warm and she closes her eyes, smiling
>oh god heart failure imminent
>eject eject eject
>self destruct initiated
>no going back now
>you scratch behind her ear and she tilts her head to the side, giggling
>KO
>ground control to Anon
>Wilford Brimley is calling, he wants his diabeetus back
>suddenly, her huge, green pleading eyes peer into your soul
>is this real life
>the cuteness has reached one Flutterplex
"if it's not too much trouble, can...  Can you let me go now if you don't mind?" she finally asks
>oh shit
"oh sorry, I didn't...-
>you say as you release her, she flies off to the washroom even before you can continue with your sentence
"... realize." you finish after the door has slammed shut
>you just go slack
>HOW DOES SO MUCH CUTE FIT INTO ONE LITTLE P0NY
>it's like she hit a certain point of cute density
>and it imploded
>now she's a cute-black hole, sucking all of the cute in her surroundings
>the cute forms an impossibly dense dainty accretion disk and and massive jets of sweet fire off whenever she reaches maximum cute density
>it's like time has stopped as you've passed the event adorable
>you feel kinda bad to have latched onto Shy, she's probably the last p0ny to wake you up if she needed to answer nature
>seems Pinkie opened a window and let the sunlight in
>she's already bouncing around
"Morning Anon!  You remind me of Pumpkin Cake, he always likes to grab onto things when he sleeps...  He tends to chew on them too, you didn't do that though"
>oh that would have been interesting
>Fluttershy the chew toy
>anyhow Dash is still sleeping and your head hurts a little
>not too bad
>you wonder if the cyan p0ne will be okay
>Applejack was right, a contest that early on was a bad move
>whatever
>it is a very slow morning
>Dash finally wakes up
>relatively
>Fluttershy isn't mad at you or anything for holding her almost hostage the whole night, just a little sore
>she couldn't move the entire time
>poor Shy
>you decide to go back to P0nyville to resume your work
>you are sure to tell Fluttershy and Pinkie that you will be in old P0nyville for two weeks or so
>Dash is in full zombie mode so she'll hear about it later
>you finally bid them farewell and start packing your stuff
>you grab some of the stuff you had missed the first time around
>change of clothes, proper soap, SR-15, Glock 17
>the usual household items
>you travel in the afternoon
>the first week is spent without much trouble
>your guns do provide a strange comfort
>they aren't fluffy, warm ponies but they take the edge off
>it's not like you need them, but you felt especially naked without them when you were alone
>you are getting pretty weary, though
>the lack of good sleep and the horrible dreams aren't what you'd call a vacation
>slowly, you have the impression you're getting better
>the second week was rough
>you aren't getting spat on as often, but the demanding work and sleep deprivation are getting to you
>every statue that you clean and apologize to, every time you kneel and pay your respects, it's like a weight is lifted from your shoulders
>it's like you can look at them a little easier
>you feel pretty lonely at times
>this is very new to you
>you feel like you've accomplished a fair bit, however
>you don't spiral into hell every time you're stuck with your thoughts in a quiet room
>well, not as much
>sounds like some kinda progress, anyway
>heading back to Canterlot puts a spring in your step
>you want to see how Graphs is doing and what he and Tan are up to
>you have brunch with your friends, catching up
>you missed this quite a bit
>listening to them talk about their lives
>Dash wanted to hang out later, you told her you'd meet up at the bar when you were done with the good Doctor.
>you absent mindedly walk back to his lab
>walking in, you see Tan pulling on a force gauge
>Graphs seems to be taking notes
"Hey everyone, what did I miss?"
>Tan's antennas glow, you hear and see
"Hello, Anon" in the synthesized voice
>and two written languages along with the matched image of his antenna pattern
>you really have to set up those filters
>whatever
>Dr. Graphs is startled however, visibly jumping
"Oh! Anon, I didn't expect your company like this."
"Sorry to barge in on you Doc, didn't mean to startle you there" you reply
"It was a pleasant surprise"
>nice save, Doc
"So what are you all up to?"
"I was actually trying to measure Tan's physical strength, I've been taking down all of his mental and physiological attributes.  He is...  Simply fascinating"
>you'd have to ask Tan how much he can pull on that gauge, you are sure he could convert the units if you gave him the proper standard
>it looks like a fair bit
"Graphs, I know our units don't match up, but if you were using that gauge to weight a certain volume of water, how big would the container be?"
>he thinks for a few seconds
>the mass of water is pretty constant, so this isn't a bad way of getting an idea of how strong they are, exactly
"Well, sir, we had to bring in one of those from a train yard...  They use it to find out if they'll need more horsepower for a cargo trip"
>he magics his glasses off and rubs his temples with his hooves
"As far as I can figure it, Tan here could probably lift a cubic container of approximately this size, filled with water”
>he gestures, showing you just about how big the container would be with his outstretched front legs
>a volume of 1m^3 of water is 1000 kilos
>wat
>this fucker could lift well over two metric tons
>welp, this explains the ease with which they could turn stuff to paste
>compared to Tan, you must all feel like you're made of jello
"So Tan, you've been here for quite a while now, is there anything you want to do?" you ask
"I only want to express my gratitude and somehow offer myself as recompense for the Root trespasses against you and the Equestrians"
>against your instincts and ingrained feelings in relation to the Roots, all telling you to just shoot him and get it over with
>especially after the battles you've fought against them
>you can't help but know what he is feeling
>somehow, you have thought process that you can't seem to ignore
>even if you are on maximum alert around Tan, even after all his demonstrations of trust, you do not feel like showing him your back
>as much as the Roots have royally fucked things up here
>you can't ignore the thought that you should become his friend
>you're both the last of your species in this reality
>you both really fucked up and shit has gone wrong for the both of you
>and he seems to be determined to do whatever he can to make amends, on some level
>just like you
>you've also always wanted a cool alien friend
>on earth, you'd wondered about getting a giant isopod as a pet, but was unable to find one
>not that Tan is a pet
>one other thing that you are slowly coming to see
>Tan is very much like a computer
>he seems to process things and interact like a form of AI would, and this is very comforting for you
>you were always more comfortable with machinery and computers
>you have a bunch inside your body, for science's sake
>it’s not like you wanted to hug him right now, but as long as he did not give you a reason to doubt him, you would trust him on some level
>not the “I’m turning my back on you and flicking my safety on” level
>but the “I won’t point a gun at your head whenever I’m within sightline” level
>you trust him enough for a bit of liberty at this point
>he still has a long way to go, but you want to believe him and you think that with time, you can come to trust him a little more
“So Doctor, I can see you’re learning about Tan at a good rate.  Has he told you what his reality used to be like?  What they were all like before they sent the Seed ship?  I’ve been curious about their history and their society…”
“Yes, it’s all here.  I’ve started a few books on various subjects…  The Roots were a highly organized people.  Very old civilization, they became more and more dependent on magic as the time went on, but had no way of creating it.  They seem to have become more crazed as time went on, flying to the stars, but never being able to find what they wanted…  Finally, they found out about going through “realities” and they followed your path to Equestria, sensing our magic…  Quite a tragic coincidence…”
>yeah, you hadn’t forgotten about that one
>just another on the list of shit you’ve fucked up
>now you just need to blow up a sun or something and the list will be complete
“I’ll read it when I have the chance.  I’m sure this isn’t something that can be so quickly summarized.  Is there anything the Roots or Tan could offer us?  They must have some impressive advancement to be able to work crafts like Seed ships…” you reply
"Anon, Dr. Graphs, I would like to see if there are systems on the Seed ship that could be salvaged.  As pilot, I know them well and perhaps Equestria and/or you could benefit from it"
>this could be very interesting
“Well, we already have a few teams that are studying the site, but having Tan should prove very useful at least” says Graphs
>your science is tingling
“I would also like to come along” you say
>a part of you doesn’t like the idea of Tan going anywhere that isn’t supervised and secure with armed guards around
>so you do feel like keeping an eye on him
>there is something that bothers you
“Tan…  Are you a male or a female?”
>he turns to you
“We have no sex” Tan replies
>this is even worse, now you don’t know what surname to use
“Would you rather be referred to he or she?”
“I will associate myself with the connotations of “he””
>hunh
>that does mean you don’t have to change his synth voice
“Okay.  Dr. Graphs, when would be a good date of departure?
>your curiosity is entirely piqued
>you do hope you won’t regret this
>it could be an elaborate plan
>Tan has proven to be very patient
>he doesn’t sleep, and he’s been stuck in a small room for over a month
>one thing’s for sure, you can’t let your guard down
>especially when getting a possible enemy back to a position where he could wield power
>the Seed ships were nothing to laugh at, it took all of Celestia’s might to fight it off last time
>Tan could be waiting to be led back into the Seed ship, possibly even use us to help him restore some systems, and then either go back to his reality and attempt to gather reinforcements or use the Seed ship to attack Equestria
>it could have weapons yet unknown to you all
>it could have other plans you haven’t thought of
>you feel like you’re walking on a line that keeps getting thinner and thinner
>you don’t want to miss this opportunity, and you decide to risk this
“Well I don’t have much planned for tomorrow, we could go then”
“Sounds good.  I’ll come to the lab in the morning to walk you all to the train station.  We should also bring a party of guards, if possible.”
>Graphs agrees and you leave shortly after
>you haven’t forgotten your plans to chill out with Dash
>you don’t know what you’ll both do this evening
>you head to Canter Bar
>Dash is pretty easy to spot
>she IS a fucking rainbow
“Dash!  I hope you haven’t been waiting here for too long” you say
“’Sup.  Not that bad, actually.  Good timing”
“What did you have in mind?  You want to have another drinking contest, hang around here for a while or play some more videogames at my place?” you suggest
“I…  I think I’m good right now as far as drinking is concerned…  Hey you got another cool videogame with those arrow-planes?” she asks
>wait
>you have a copy of Les Chevaliers du Ciel in your implants
“Actually…  Want to see a movie?”
>she looks at you, dubious
“They have those cool airplanes in them”
>she grins and sticks her hoof out
>you bump it with your fist
“Lez do dis” she says
>you both get as comfortable as you can
>you do need a couch if you’re going to keep having company over
>at the time you got this apartment, you didn’t expect much company
>this isn’t so bad, you dragged the mattress over and threw some pillows, balling up your sheets to cushion your backs against the wall
>you warn her that it does contain violence and stuff about your world she probably won’t understand, first time around
>you will explain as best you can after
>you start streaming to the projector
>one thing about this movie
>especially for people who enjoy the whole airplane, flying or just mechanics
>even if there isn’t that much air time
>is that it’s fucking beautiful
>jaws were dropped
>some of those shots got you choked up
>you didn’t remember just how breathtaking it was
>Dash is in an awed stupor for the duration of the movie, even during many scenes where airplanes weren’t involved
>when it’s finished, she turns to you
“Anon… “
>she grabs your shirt
“That…  Was the best thing I’ve ever seen…” she says
>you also have a few other fighter jet movies
“Want more?”
>she just nods
>you pass out halfway through Top Gun, the third aircraft movie you started playing since the night begun
>slowly, the dreams seep into your slumbering mind
>you hear something, it gains volume
“…non…  anon…ANON?”
>Dash is calling and shaking you
>you wake up completely, wiping your face with the back of your hand
“Anon, are you okay?  It looked like you fell asleep but then you started shaking and crying…”
>you have told her before how fucked up you got from the whole Elements thing
>but she hasn’t seen you sleep like that
“It’s fine, Dash.  It’s a lot better now that I’m in Canterlot and now that I’ve got friends nearby”
>her face drops ever more
“This is what you call “a lot better”?  Anon…“
>she is wincing
“Honestly, they don’t happen as often now.  When I go to P0nyville, the dreams and all…  They’re pretty bad but the work I do and the time I spend on the battleground…  It feels like I’m going through therapy and as painful as it is, it’s really getting better…  I haven’t really had to drink myself stupid to be able to sleep for more than fifteen minutes.  That didn’t happen before.”
>she looks down, pained
“You know I’m not very good with this feeling business, but I’m glad you talked to me.  You can always talk to me, bro” she replies, looking up
>you smile
“You know, you all still look really funny to me, with the long limbs and flat faces, but all is forgiven if you keep putting those fighter jet movies on” she says, smiling back
>you wink with your remaining fleshy eye and Fighter Pilot: Operation Red Flag starts playing
“Deal”
>you lay down on your stomach on the mattress to rest your back as it’s been in a rather poor sitting posture against the wall, sticking a pillow under your chest
>you cross your arms under your chin and start watching the movie
>Dash lies down next to you
>you start nodding off
>maybe you should warn her that you’re prone to grabbing onto anything near you when you fall asleep
>and not letting go
>the movie was coming to an end when…
>hunh
>you just woke up
>looks like you passed out pretty hard
>you’re on your back and you Rainbro is asleep on your chest
>at least pegasi aren’t that heavy so breathing isn’t too hard
>it would be easier if you could contain all your HNNNNNGGGGG
>you mess with her mane a little and gently get her onto the bed
>this time you know how to tell them all you’re going on a little trip
>you just write down your message in your vision and copy the translated English into Equestrian
>there we go
>the subtitles appear under the Equestrian text you’ve written down
>looks good
>you head to the lab after gearing up
>putting on the suit feels quite good
>it’s really like a second skin
>you have no interest in seeing how much these things fucking cost
>it would probably make your wallet implode at the mention of how many digits
>and you have a spare one
>with a gleeful giggle, you depart to the lab
>right on time
>Tan, Dr. Graphs, a half dozen unicorns and another half dozen pegasi are waiting for you
>Walking through Canterlot is a little strange
>feels like the first time you walked into P0nyville
>it was like the whole place got quiet
>it’s not often they see a team of guards with an armed human and a really wicked looking alien waltz through the streets
>you really want to go pay that nurse a visit…
>it will have to wait
>the trip to the Root cave is uneventful
>you’re a little tense, but keeping Tan in front of you is making it easier on your nerves
>the research parties already at the site have set up cable-elevator platforms
>you descend into the large cavern
>the place is busy with p0nies in labcoats, gathering samples and writing everything down
>as much as they aren’t that technologically advanced, they are curious and have a drive for science
>sad to say, the race for technology just isn’t as fast, as needed or as efficient as it is when there isn’t a war going on
>but an event like this sparks interest in even the most sluggish of enthusiasts here
>they whisper as you walk by, taking pictures and looking at both Tan and you
>you get to the ship and Tan starts crawling inside
“Slow down.  Remember, I want to keep you in visual contact at all times” you warn
>it turns its head back so you can see his antennas better
“I will comply”
>it slows down until you can easily crawl behind it with one hand on your rifle
>you get to the room you were in when you first found Tan
“I will now attempt to do a diagnostic of the ship’s systems”
>you wait, and various lights flow across the smooth, bark-like walls
“Propulsion systems, weapons, escape spore pods, communications, scanners, multiple type energy converters, fuel banks, generators, main repair and backup systems all unsalvageable.”
>yeeesh
>that doesn’t sound very good, what the fuck is salvageable then?
“Phase drive damaged, but it can be repaired.”
>Phase drive?  Is that what it sounds like it should be?
“Tan…  What’s a phase drive?” you ask
“It is the system we used to follow you through the walls of the worlds and to get here”
>by all that is science
>this is one hell of a jackpot
“Let’s get to work”
>today was a good day
>you managed to extract the Phase drive from the ship and begin helping out Tan with what he needed to fix it
>you’re still weary
>it could be a device that kills or incapacitates all of you, leaving Tan to do what he wants
>the ship could potentially be operational
>he could also simply use it to escape or bring reinforcements
>you really hope Tan isn’t a bad Root
>for his sake
>you are wishing that he’s actually been cured by the first use of the Elements
>your grip tightens on your rifle
“The repairs will be completed within one seventh of this planet’s solar cycle”
>he’s quite thoughtful to use whatever unit is most accurate at the moment for the both of you
>you stand with a rifle almost pointed at him, chambered and on fire, hoping with all your might that he’s Tan and he’s not just putting on an act
>you’re beginning to like this thing…
“I have completed my repairs” he finally says
>you’ve been standing and watching him work for hours
“So how exactly does your device work?” you ask him
“Explanation would require unspecified-but-very-long time to explain.  Simplest description is that it creates a space that matches the vibration of the other world.  Your device seemed to cut the walls between the worlds – we simply oscillate to move through the walls.”
>mind = blown
>the device the Root has seems simple
>this is most likely an example of complex physics with simple engineering versus complex engineering versus simple physics
>relatively speaking of course
>both work rather well, in any case
“The Phase generator simply needs water and sunlight, it can be operational soon”
>you fucking water this nigger?
>you do not know if you should be angry or impressed
>whatever
>you will need to test it
>your probe is kinda gutted and in pieces
>you could very well just send a video camera, that’s not much trouble
“We’ll need to test it before actually using it but this is just wonderful!  Is there anything else worth mentioning?” you finally exclaim
“The current team of Equestrians are collecting samples and documenting this site thoroughly.  I am capable of assisting whatever research they plan to perform on what they find here” replies Tan
>you’re relieved
>not only has this been rather fruitful, but you haven’t been killed or haven’t had to violently torture Tan to death
>he better keep it up
>you return to Canterlot with the rest of the party
>today was a good day
>when you’re confident that the Phase generator is well guarded and Tan is back in the secured lab, you head to your apartment
>it is empty, of course
>you’re exhausted, you just get to bed
>you did sleep well last night, so facing your demons tonight looks less daunting
>you hug your rifle tightly, the weight comforts you
>you fall asleep