After The Fall

“So what exactly are you saying?” the mayor said amazed.

“Well I’d like to take a few acres of that unused land off your hands,” Dax said. The others stood nearby.

“And what would you like in payment?” she asked.

“Oh uh nothing. I just need the land, nothing else,” Dax said.

“What?! No one in Ponyville wants that land. I’ve had to pay people to take that land. You can’t be serious; I mean why would an alien want that land?”

“Oh he just needs a place to land his ship,” Vinyl said.

“Well ok then,” the mayor said pulling a piece of paper out from under her desk, “I just need you to sign here and the land is yours to do what you wish.”

He signed. The mayor gave him the charter and it was done.

“Well that was easy,” Dax said.

“I’ll say,” Twilight said, “They mayor’s been wanting to get rid of those acres for years.”

“Now that you have it, watcha plannin on doin with it?” Applejack asked.

“Well my ship is large enough so I might add a garden or something to it. Maybe I’ll plant a few trees or something, I don’t know yet. I’ll have to see what I’m dealing with here,” Dax said.

Dax was off his crutches now and only walked with a limp and a cane. Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Applejack had all gone back to their respective homes and work places for the day after saying a friendly goodbye. Twilight, Rainbow Dash, and Vinyl all followed Dax and Ajax to the new land he’d just acquired.

It was on the outskirts of town. Good, Dax thought, No neighbors. It was a grassy area but Ajax, always the optimist, saw potential in the place.

“Alright,” Dax said, “Now it just needs one thing. We’ll be back.” Dax said as he rose into the air. He soon disappeared into the clouds.

***

“How long has it been?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“He’s only been gone 15 minutes,” Vinyl said, “Be patient.”

“I wonder what his ship lo-” Twilight was cut off by a rushing of wind and dust. A soft impact was heard. The dust settled. Nothing was there.

“What the he-” Rainbow was cut off as a large white object began to materialize before her. It was a sleek clean ship with two engines on the side. Three landing struts descended from the bottom. The gangplank opened.

Dax stood walked down the gangplank, “Hope I didn’t startle anyone.”

“Just a little surprised,” Vinyl said, dusting herself off.

“Well come on in,” Dax said.

They entered into a large room. It served as Dax’s main living area. It had a small couch, coffee table, and arm chair. A large screen sat on a pedestal in front of the table. A stair case led up to the second level. Though it wasn’t visible, the way behind the stairs contained the armory and engineering sections.

“Welcome aboard my ship, The Galactic North.”

“This is incredible!” Twilight said.

“Yeah I guess it is,” Dax sighed as he remembered the ship’s original purpose. Now he was its caretaker, its protector.

“Come on,” Dax said, “I’ll show you the bridge.”

The three followed him up the staircase. He led them into an open area with two chairs and a control board. A pedestal stood in between the two chairs. A large holo-table sat behind them. Ajax’s form stood next to the table.

Immediately Twilight ran to examine the controls. They were dark, “Why are there no controls? How do you fly this thing?”

“There are controls, they’re just not activated,” Dax tapped the board and instantly displays and feeds appeared. Two control sticks extended up and out.

“You fly this manually? That must be so difficult!”

“I actually prefer manual. It links up to my neural systems and allows me to better control the ship. In some ways I become the ship.”

“Ooh! What’s this?” Rainbow Dash said, touching the table. Instantly it lit up and displayed a hologram of the planet. It slowly rotated.

“This is…our world?” She asked amazed.

“Yup. It’s a scan of your planet I got from orbit.”

Vinyl tapped the hologram. Instantly boundary lines began to appear.

“How come this side of our planet isn’t outlined like this?” She asked.

“Well put quite simply, it’s unexplored by your people. Quite honestly I have no idea what’s on that side of the world.”

“Hmm,” she said, “I wonder wh-”

A letter materialized next to Twilight, “Oh, this must be the Princesses’ reply.”

It read,

Dear Twilight Sparkle,

We’re glad to know our alien friend is up on his feet again. Please inform him that he has our eternal gratitude for protecting one of our subjects at great personal risk to him. We understand he is an explorer and wishes to learn more about us. We would like to meet him as soon as possible to discuss his future in our society.

Sincerely,

Princesses Celestia and Luna.

“Well I have some news,” Twilight said, “The princesses would like to meet you in Cantorlot as soon as possible.”

“Fine by me,” Dax said, “When can we leave?”

“Now if you like.”

“Cool. Hold down the fort while I’m gone, Ajax.”

“Why can’t I come?” she protested.

“If someone gets too curious I don’t want them getting too close or touching anything.”

“Fine,” She sighed.

***

The palace was magnificent. Somehow it remained pristine and clean beyond all expectations. Even Dax’s boots on the floor left no scuff marks or prints. He stood outside of the throne room, waiting for admittance.

A guard opened the door, “The Princess will see you now.”

Dax stepped forward and into the room. The others attempted to follow but were stopped, “Only the alien.”

Dax stepped forward. His boots clicking on the floor as he walked. He was in a large cathedral like room. Panes of glass depicted several stories. Dax activated his eye cams, capturing as much of them as he could as he walked. Two thrones sat at the end of the room, only one was occupied.

A tall woman with large white wings stood up. She had a rainbow spectrum of hair. Not like Rainbow Dash’s but similar. It flowed nicely and sparkled in the light. She had a warm smile on her face.

“I welcome you to our land, strange one,” She said warmly, “And thank you. If not for your ‘divine’ intervention as Ms. Scratch is calling it, something terrible might have happened that night.”

“It was simple instinct for me, Princess…Uh…”

“Celestia. I’m sorry my sister couldn’t be here today but she had to depart for a mandatory inspection of the Lunar prisons.”

“I hope those men were brought to justice for what they did. No matter what planet you’re on, a home invasion is wrong.”

“They are currently residing on the moon. They won’t be leaving anytime soon.”

“That’s comforting.”

She stared at Dax. Her eyes analyzing. Dax noticed marks on her hands glowing.

“You are a difficult one to read Dax,” she said.

“How do you know my name?” he asked amazed.

“My magic allows me to do many abilities. But I’m worried about you. You have good intentions and a good heart but there is something you’re not forgiving yourself for, something you’re hiding. I won’t lie to you Dax. I know what you are, I can read that much of you. You are a soldier, a militant, a small piece in a war larger than I can imagine. I won’t lie that that doesn’t disturb me; our world hasn’t known war for thousands of years. But I also know see a good in you, something you’ve locked away, something you keep hidden, separate from you, something you haven’t let yourself experience in a long time. You may not know what it is but you will see soon enough. I can see you’ve seen things and experienced pains no one here can imagine. I know it hurts.”

Dax was dumbfounded. This woman was reading him like a book. It was as if Ajax had told her what to say, but Dax knew otherwise. This Princess seemed to understand him, almost to a degree of pity. Her eyes displayed wisdom and an understanding to his scars of war. He responded, “More than you know.”

“Which is why I’d like to offer you citizenship to our fine nation. I understand you wish to learn more about us and our culture. Just be aware that you will find this place differs greatly from anything you’ve experienced before,” she smiled. She held up her hand and the doors opened. Rainbow Dash, Twilight, and Vinyl walked in.

“Ah, ladies,” the princess said, “We were just discussing Dax’s situation. I’ve granted him citizenship while he explores and learns about our world.”

“That’s great news princess!” Twilight said.

“I’m also appointing Ms. Scratch here as Dax’s guide to our culture and customs. Who better to guide him than a cultural icon herself?”

Vinyl gasped, “You want me to expose him to our culture?”

“As much as you can. I have no idea when or if our guest has to depart so I hope you make excellent use of your time. That is all,” she smiled. The three bowed. Dax did the same. They turned and exited the throne room.

***

Dax walked back to the train. He stayed quiet. What had the princess meant by something he’d locked away? The thing he kept hidden was easy enough to figure out. The Fall, being ordered to run when every instinct screamed Fight. Running while his brothers and sisters died for him to escape. The first four months after were the hardest. Dax dealt with depression and horrible guilt. Why had he been forced to live when all the others died? Why was he denied his right to go down fighting? It was his purpose as a soldier. But now he had no purpose. No reason to live. No war to fight. He’d considered destroying the ship and killing himself. He’d have shot himself out an airlock if Ajax hadn’t stopped him. She’d convinced him to stay alive. He’d finally bottled up her emotions and found a new purpose. Wait for revolution. He’d spent the last year preparing and stocking up.

His thoughts were interrupted by six pairs of eyes staring intently at his face.

“What’s wrong?” Vinyl asked; her red eyes wide with worry.

“Nothing, I’m just thinking,” Dax said, “Just doing some reflecting.”

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“No, I’d prefer just to be let be for now. I’m sorry but I need time to think.”

“Ok,” Vinyl said solemnly. The three sat on a bench while they waited for the train to arrive. Dax sat on a bench a few meters away. He thought for a long time…

***

Ten months ago.

Dax sat on in the hanger. They say you can only kill a man once but Dax had found an argument against that. He’d been forced to run while his family died. The man who was the father in his life had ordered it. He’d been ordered to run while his best friends were killed. He sat looking at their holograms. All 199 of them stood in the hanger. Dax wept again. The holograms offered a wry smile.

He’d finished his last message to Ajax. It ordered her to fly the ship into the nearest star after he was gone. He deactivated the program before he walked up to the hanger door. He found the controls and deactivated the safety protocols. He entered in the code and prepared to open the door.

Ajax appeared before him, “DAX NO!”

Dax turned around, “Why not?!” he sobbed, “They’re gone and I should be to!”

“Don’t say that Dax. They’re not gone and you don’t believe that. I know what you do believe and it’s not that.”

“Yes I do! I should have died back there! I should have gone down with my brothers and sisters! That was my purpose! But that stupid old man denied me that one right! He cheated me out of it and made me run! He made me flee like a coward! And for what?!” He yelled. He ran over to a container and smashed it.

“For what?! For this stupid ship?! What’s so important about this ship that they had to die for it?! Why couldn’t I stay with them? Why did they have to die?” he pounded the wall.

“Why did they have to die? They were my best friends. I loved them like they were my family. They were my family and they died for me. Why did they have to die?” He collapsed onto the floor crying. He curled into a ball, sobs rocked his body.

“I miss them so much!” he cried.

Ajax stood over him. For the first time in her life she didn’t know what to do. It pained her to see him like this. She severally doubted any A.I. could be programed to handle something like this. She knelt next to him. She had to tell him.

“I miss them to Dax,” she said, “Not a millisecond goes by without one of their faces going through my mind. Part of me wishes we had died back there with them but... but they all died so you could live Dax. They gave the ultimate sacrifice for you so you could survive.”

She pulled up a file in her hands. It was a message from the Admiral, recorded a few minutes before he died. She played it.

“Hello son,” his voice said. He was standing on the bridge of his ship, “You’re probably wondering why I ordered you to run. Well the truth is-” The message cut off and revealed new scenery. It was a prerecorded message from his company on the day they died; just before they boarded their fighters. They all were standing in front of a screen, sad smiles on their faces.

Naomi stepped forward, “Hello Dax,” she said. Her voice was kind and warm, “Old silver back is probably giving you a lecture on duty and honor and all the good stuff. But we just wanted to say one final good bye before we leave. You were a great leader, soldier, and above all a great friend,” she started to tear up, “None of us will ever forget the great times we all had. Jokes in the mess hall, parties in the hanger bays, pranks on the brass, even detention. I think that’s what makes a good friend Dax. You can always have a good time and bring out the best in us. When we’re gone, we promise to watch over you. I know how much you can get lost in new places so we’ll be there...” There was a long pause as Naomi brought the back of her hand to her face. “Gosh I’ve never been too good at good byes,” she said tears flowing freely down her face, “So I won’t say good bye, only until we meet again. We’ll be watching Dax so if you ever feel alone, just remember that. We love you, you awkward old oaf, until we meet again,” The company gave a final salute, all were crying. They pulled on their helmets and killed the feed. The admiral’s face returned, “They hijacked the feed didn’t they? They deserve they’re last bit of fun. It’s the least I owe them. Good bye Dax and Godspeed.” The doors to the bridge opened and Dax stepped on.

The message ended. Dax stared at it for the longest time. Ajax’s form flickered. That happened whenever she was under emotional stress.

Dax stood up suddenly. He gave a solemn salute, “Come on Ajax. We have work to do.”

He reactivated the safety protocols and turned towards the bridge. Ajax followed. He sat in his chair and activated the interface. He turned to Ajax, “Thanks for that.”

She smiled sadly, “It’s the least you deserve, the least all of you deserve.”

The North sped through space before jumping away.

***

Vinyl waited for the train. It would be at the station in a few minutes. She stared at Dax. Something was wrong. She felt it when she was near him. A horrible depression and sadness. Something had happened. She turned to Twilight, “Do you feel it too?”

“Yes, it’s been going on since he left the throne room.”

“I’m worried about him; he’s hiding something. He’s been in relatively good control of his emotions since he saved me but now something isn’t right.”

She continued to stare. Her eyes full of worry she stood up and walked toward him. He had his head in his hands. She gasped inside. He suddenly looked older. Like an old memory. She sat down next to him.

“Hey,” she said, “what’s wrong? You’re sad, I can feel it.”

“Nothing, I’m just remembering something,” he said.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“I’m sorry Vinyl, you wouldn’t understand. I can’t,” he said. The train arrived. Passengers began filling on and off the train. Dax stood up followed by Vinyl, RD, and Twilight.

The train ride back to Ponyville was uneventful. Dax stared out the window at the sunset. He sat alone. Twilight and Rainbow talked but Vinyl was worried. What had him so depressed? What had happened to him? Something was wrong and she intended to find out what. It was the least she owed him…

***

Dax exited the train. After saying goodbye to Vinyl, Twilight, and Rainbow he headed back to his ship. It was dark when he walked onto the ship. Ajax was there with a friendly greeting.

“How was the meeting?” she asked, “Did you get any interesting data while you were there?”

“Yeah,” he said tapping his hand on the holo-table, transferring what he’d captured, “the meeting went well. We’ve gotten citizenship now. But there’s something strange about this place. The princess read me like a book. She knows what I am but for some reason doesn’t let that bother her too much.”

“Really? Wow this is one friendly place.”

“She also knows, to a degree, what happened at The Fall. She doesn’t know exactly what happened but knows something. Like I said earlier, she read me like a book.”

Ajax sighed, “I know how much they meant to you but there’s nothing you could have done. You have to let it go. You can’t keep carrying that guilt around like that.”

“I know, but I can’t help it. I can’t help but feel responsible,” he sighed

Ajax gave a blank face. She didn’t want a repeat of 10 months ago. She needed to keep his mind off of it and have him focus on something else. And this world was going to help her. She analyzed the data he captured. She smiled.

“Well from the looks of things this is a very cultured and interesting place with many customs and stories to tell. And it looks like Ms. Scratch has been assigned to guide you through it. Come on. You have a big day tomorrow. Get some sleep.”

“In a minute, I have work to do,” he pulled up a topographical map of the country.

“Oh no you don’t,” she killed the feed, “Get to bed and get some rest.”

Dax smiled, “Fine mom.”

He walked back to his quarters. As soon as he was gone Ajax cried. She hated herself for it. An A.I that could cry! But she did. She missed her counterparts and their trainees. She remembered each of their faces. But new faces made their way into her memories. Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Twilight, Fluttershy, and Vinyl. They all offered warm smiles. This was new but not unwelcome. She silently thanked them for the comfort they offered. They cheered her up. She and Dax had made new friends in this place. Maybe, just maybe, she and their new friends could convince him to stay…