The Infinum Chronicles

The

I N F I N U M  C H R O N I C L E S

06: T h e   c a l m   b e f o r e   t h e   s t o r m

Everypony looked at Exon for an answer, trying to hold on to their hope. Exon looked confident, but he was obviously stressed from the situation.

“Princess Celestia raises the sun each day, right?”

“Yes,” began Twilight. “That’s her job.”

“And do any of you posses any Zerstrontium? As in a large quantity?” The ponies were confused by Exon’s request. “It… It looks like a shiny metal, virtually indestructible…”

“The closest thing we have to what you're trying to describe is buried far beneath us...” Twilight spoke up.

Exon was taken back by Twilight’s statement. “Were these ponies really THAT unadvanced of a civilization? Oh well…” He thought to himself.

“Yes, that is exactly what I’m talking about!” Exon said in mid thought. “Oh, and one more thing…”

The ponies and Spike leaned in a little closer. “From what I've heard, you can turn someone into stone with the elements of harmony?” The ponies nodded enthusiastically. “Then I think we can stop him! Unless… do you have a calm lake or ocean nearby?”

“It’s all the way on th’ other side of Equestria, but we do…” said Applejack.

Exon paused a moment. “I need some paper and a writing utility…” Spike ran to Twilight’s room and came back with a sheet of paper and a quill. Exon politely took it and sat down at the closest table. The ponies watched what he was doing from over his back as he started calculating reflective angles, probability, and some math that the ponies had never seen before. He also sketched Fariscon with great detail and perfection, calculating how vectors of different forces acted on his body. When he was done, he stood up and took a breath.

“I have a plan… and… It just might work.”

“Not to be grim or anything, but what happens if it fails?” Spike asked with a look of worry.

Exon was silent after Spike spoke. He sat on the thought for a while until he said, “Well, then the rest of you will be dead…”

“The… rest of us? What do you mean Exon?” Twilight asked with a sad look on her face. Exon looked as he couldn't breathe or speak. He stared at the ground with his fists clenched in a defensive way.

“My plan involves…” Exon looked up at the ponies, who were bewildered at what he was getting at.

“Exon, what is it? You can tell us…” Applejack said with a comfort in her eyes, yet had a sensitivity in them.

Exon unclenched his claws and sat down on his bed in front of the ponies. “The only way to save you inspirational creatures would be to sacrifice myself. He wants ME, not you… If I could convince him that-”

“Whoa there, sugarcube! There’s no need to kill yourself for us!”

“Yes there is! I have a perfect reason to risk my life for all of you!” Exon protested with tears developing in the back of his eyes.

Applejack raised an eyebrow. “And what would THAT be?”

Exon was about to speak, but struggled to breathe or find the words to speak. Exon said, “I need to set something right… Not only this is my fault, but existence as we know it is collapsing because of me. All of this is MY fault, and I need to set it straight.”

Applejack held Exon’s hand with her hoof. She looked up into Exon’s eyes and said,  “But that doesn’t mean you have to die, sugarcube. Exon, so you may’ve made a mistake or two, but that ain't no reason to die for it, no matter’ how big that mistake was.”

Exon nodded and shed a tear. “I’m sorry… I just didn't want to bring all of this upon you sweet beings… my friends…” Exon looked down and frowned in defeat.

“Darling… it’s ok, none of us think you deserve death as a punishment!” Rarity said in attempt to cheer the Micron up.

“You're always home with us, Exon.” Fluttershy said as she held Exon’s claws with her hoof. It was sweet, but would become unbearable for Exon within a couple of seconds.

Surprised, Exon quickly stood up, almost as if it was… forced. “I’m sorry! I…” He sighed as the ponies began to frown. “...I just need a moment alone…” Exon walked over to the door and began to walk outside.

“But Exon, it’s getting late!” Twilight yelled from inside the house.

“It’s fine, I know where the house is. I’m not stupid...” Exon said as he closed the door to the treehouse.

Twilight sighed and looked at her friends. “I have a feeling that Exon is dealing with a little more than we know…”

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As Exon walked, his mind swam and couldn't seem to settle on one thought. When he looked up from time to time, he would see a random pony wave at him with a smile, but frowned when they looked closer at his face. Exon eventually found a dark spot beneath a tree he could rest at near the center of Ponyville.

Exon sat down underneath the tree placed upon a small but gradual hill. He looked at the stream’s reflection and through how the future couldn’t become any worse. The reflection reminded him about the weak, but ferocious mental bond that he had with Fariscon. “The poor shell, he’s just a reflection of me, and always will be. I wonder if he actually still feels… the pain, after all these eons. But it was him who ultimately turned himself into the monster he’s become. He’s probably bloodthirsty after all these years in ice…”

Exon was puzzled for a moment. “Wait… honestly, how in the HELL of things did he get out of there? And how in the hell is he not dead? How did he even FOLLOW me?!” Exon suddenly came upon a particularly disturbing thought. It almost dragged his senses and perception away from him. “How… am I…. speaking the same language as these ponies?..”

Exon looked around for no particular reason and tried to speak Micronic out loud. “Holy shit! How does it sound the same?! How is that even remotely possible?!?!”

“Exon?” Asked a small, sweet voice from behind him.

“AAGH!!!” Exon whipped around.

“aaah!!!” Fluttershy screamed in surprise.

The two of them panted from shock. “Holy hell, you gave me quite a scare!” Exon playfully pointed a finger at the mare.

“I j-jjust came to see if you w-were ok. But if… if it’s n-not too much trouble to ask, wh.. who were you talking to?”

Exon’s cheeks blushed in embarrassment. “Oh! No one… in particular, er.. myself...” Exon sat back down by the stream and continued to watch the water flow by. Fluttershy held back a giggle as she sat down next to the bird-mammal hybrid. Fluttershy looked at how the moon’s light lightly reflected across his orange and black-striped fur, noticing that there were faint but large hexagonal patterns across the orange parts of his fur. When Exon looked at her, Fluttershy quickly snapped out of her stare almost embarrassed.

Exon laughed kindly and said, “It’s ok… no one's going to judge you here…” The two waited for a while and looked at the scenery before them, the stars, the stream, everything. The light breeze made things colder, so Fluttershy eventually warmed up to Exon and snuggled a little closer to his warm, inviting side.

Exon spoke up after a while. “Fluttershy, it’s sweet that you wanted to check on me… You're the best...”

Fluttershy smiled a little. “Oh my, thank you. You're very nice too, Exon.”

Exon raised a quick eyebrow. “Really? I don’t think I’m that nice, at least as nice as you are in comparison-”

Fluttershy held a hoof to Exon’s beak and said, “You can sometimes have your moments, but you're really nice when somepony gets to know you.”

Exon smiled. “Wow. I never thought you would think I was nice… That means a lot to me, Fluttershy. It really does.”

Fluttershy smiled. “Well I’m glad it does. You should never doubt yourself, Exon. You're an excellent friend and… person to everypony.”

“I think the same about you too, Fluttershy.” Exon tried not to blush as he looked up at the stars. He replaced his emotions with a smile. “Who knew that there would be you guys in my life. You are the best thing that’s ever happened to me, and I regret nothing being here with… you.” Exon’s focus and voice tailed off as he began to feel tired.

Fluttershy looked away and tried to hide her blushing. Exon saw this out of the slit of his eyes and shot awake. “Oh! I meant all of you! I didn’t mean to come off-”

Fluttershy giggled and said, “I know what you meant, Exon. No need to say you're sorry…”

Exon felt bad for some reason, as if it was rude to trick Fluttershy like that. Because she was the only one who seemed to care about him… at least differently than the others. “But… I DO care for you, Fluttershy. You're the only pony, or for that matter the only anybody who has ever cared this much for me in my entire life! Not even my parents cared this much for me, nor my friends!”

Fluttershy clamped a hoof over her mouth in shock. “You ponies, and especially you are the closest thing I have to friends and family! And I wont let go of you or let you drop from my life just because Fariscon is coming here to destroy me!” Exon closed his eyes and frowned towards the ground.

“Of course we care for you, Exon... I care for you. I’m just scared of you're clone like the rest of us, but you shouldn’t have to die for our friendship.”

A single tear streamed along Exon’s face and dripped off of his beak. He sighed a sob and looked up at the sky. “Fluttershy… Can I, tell you something… maybe?”

The yellow mare smiled. “Well, of course, Exon. You can tell me anything… that is, only if you want to.”

Exon couldn’t believe he was feeling this, especially towards one of his pony friends. Why was he feeling so emotional right now? This was not like his species… “Just say it…” Exon through to himself, trying to force the air to stay in his lungs. “She’s going to think you’re SO weird… Why do I even feel this!?!?”

“Exon, are… are you ok?”

“Just say it!” He looked at her from the corner of his eye.

“What’s wrong?” Fluttershy rested a hoof on his left hand.

He made up his mind. “I’m sorry… but, I’m starting to really take notice of you, Fluttershy. You're always so kind to others… and to me.”

Fluttershy looked down and blushed. Was Exon really coming on to her? “Oh my, I’m… so flattered!” She saw that Exon was facing away from her and slumping. “I mean... I just never through my admirer would’ve come from another world!”

“Yeah, thanks…” Exon said in attempt to mocking himself, personally.

Fluttershy seized the opportunity and gently turned Exon’s head around with her hoof. Exon opened his eyes as Fluttershy wiped a single tear away from his orange face. “No, what I mean is that that’s very sweet of you to say.” Exon smiled, but returned back to his normal posture, as if nothing had ever happened.

After a while, Exon asked Fluttershy, “Can I hug you? If it’s alright that is…”

Fluttershy felt compelled to hug her lover, but she was hesitant with her new feelings for Exon. After thinking about it, she gave in. “You can hug me. I don’t mind…”

With that, Exon gently scooped her up and held her close to his chest. Fluttershy was uncomfortable at first, but soon realised how inviting Exon’s warm, radiant body was becoming compared to the chilled breeze that flowed through the equestrian night… just like his personality. She looked up to Exon, who was gazing at the stars with such curiosity. It almost looked like he was memorizing the entire cosmos above them.

Just as she began to drift off, Exon stood up with Fluttershy held tight in his arms. “Come on, it’s getting pretty late.. We should get to bed.”

“Wait…” Fluttershy peeped from the Micron’s chest. He looked down at the yellow mare, her exposed body bathing in the moonlight. “...Just, a little longer… Please Exon?”

He stared at her for a couple more seconds. “...Sure. We can do that.”

It was hard to tell, but Exon through he saw a little smile from on the pony’s face from beneath his small layer of fur. Exon sat back down by the stream, but suddenly noticed the fish-carcass from earlier as soon as he sat down. He only hoped that Fluttershy wouldn't see it… Oh, how that would ruin everything…

But it looked like Fluttershy was happy where she was… and Exon was happy where he was. “Nothing could be any better…” Exon through to himself. “Well, maybe one thing…” He looked down at the little pony.

“My little pony…” He whispered under his breath as Fluttershy snuggled further into his fur in her sleep. Somehow the phrase seemed familiar to him, but that didn't matter right now. All that mattered now was his life here and how his friendships could transform here, along with himself. Sure, he still had issues from his past, but he could be reformed here.

But before he could do that, he still had one last problem from his dark past to fix...