“What do you think sweetheart?”
He watched the little cloud building in the outskirts of Cloudsdale. “It’s... nice.” He said smiling.
She smiled back. “And wait until you see your room.” She said as she opened the door, keeping it open so his son could come in. The colt walked next to his mother and entered the house. There was a big room with a cloud table in the middle that worked as dining room and kitchen at the same time. “That door is the bathroom…” She said pointing a hoof to a door next to the stairs. “…and upstairs is my bedroom and yours.”
He looked around expectantly. “You know mum…” His mother looked at him raising an eyebrow. “I’d been thinking… What if kids here don’t like me?”
His mother walked to him and hugged him. “Oh don’t worry about it sugarcube. Everything it’s going to be alright.”
He smiled brightly. “I hope mum… I really hope…”
“Blast, We Are Approaching The Harmony.”
He rubbed his eyes. “I thought I had muted you.” He said as he got up from his bed.
“I Know, But You Also Asked Me To Let You Know When We Were Arriving.” The computer said.
“How long did I slept?” He asked while he arranged his mane.
“Nine Hours, Twenty Nine Minutes And Thirty Two Seconds.”
Blast rolled his eyes. “With a simple, “Nine hours and a half” would be enough.” He walked out of his room. He got into the control room and sat in his chair. The Harmony was one of the biggest spaceships in the Lunar Fleet, capable of keeping inside of it multiple smaller ships. “Mother, start the approaching maneuvers.”
“Approaching Initiated. Preparing For Engaging The Harmony. Asking For Authorization To Land… Authorization Granted. Preparing For Landing…” His ship positioned behind The Harmony. “Authorized To Land In Hangar Three…” A door in The Harmony opened. His ship slowly approached the door. It kept moving until something attached to it holding it in place. “Attached Completed. Landing Maneuvers Successful. Welcome To The Harmony.”
Blast got up from his chair, he got a collar and put it on his neck. “Mother, you copy?”
“Yes Dear, The Communicator Works Perfectly.” The computer answered.
“Perfect, I’ll tell Octy to check all the ship’s systems. I’ll be in touch if you need me.”
“I Should Be The One Saying That.” Answered it. If Blast didn’t knew better he would had thought the computer was teasing him. (That’s just impossible.)
He walked down the ramp and was greeted by one of The Harmony’s crew, who bowed at him. “Welcome to The Harmony. The captain has asked me to send you to the bridge as soon as you arrived. This way please.” He started walking and Blast followed him.
The Harmony was an incredibly big spaceship, which served as home for more than a thousand ponies. While they walked, Blast tried to avoid anypony who may know him. After all, he was in no mood to deal with anypony who wasn’t Octavia right now.
The pair walked in silence. “So…” Started the stallion. “You are Shooting Blast?” Blast nodded. “I can’t believe it, how old are you?” The stallion asked.
Blast mouth stayed shut. After a few moments, he took a deep breath. “Nine.”
The stallion looked at him in confusion. “Really? The first pony in the space is nine years old?”
Blast smiled. “Well, I have been nine for some time now.”
The stallion stopped “My name is Braeburn.” He said offering a hoof to Blast, who shake it smiling. “This is awesome. Is it true what they say about you?”
“What do they said?”
“You know, that you have been in all those places, and that you met all kind of creatures.” Braeburn said excitedly.
(Dear Luna, he looks like a teenager who just met his favorite band.) Blast thought. “Well, I’ve been in a lot of places, and I can’t tell I’ve met all kinds of creatures, but yeah, I’ve met some.”
Braeburn laughed. “Ok, here we are.”
The bridge of The Harmony was a very big room full of ponies and computers everywhere. In the middle of the room there was a single chair, where the captain sat.
Blast nodded to Braeburn and walked to the chair. As he approached he could hear the captain say. “Derpy please, check the pressure of the tanks twice dear. Bon-bon, I need the report on the missing ships. Vinyl, stop eating chocolate and get to work.” The last statement brought a (You used to be fun Tavi.) from some pony in the room, who Blast deduced had been vinyl. Blast poked the captain’s side. “Uh? Oh, Blast dear I am sorry I did not see you there. How are you?” Asked Octavia with a big smile on her face.
He looked to the metallic floor. “Isn’t anywhere more private where we can talk?” He asked.
Octavia’s worry reappeared in her face. “Give me a minute.” She jumped out of the chair, getting in all fours. “Bon-bon, there is something I need to do, you are in charge until I am back.” A mare with blue and pink mane nodded.
“WHAT!? Why she and not me Tavi? I’ll be the best captain! You know, just like the video games!” A voice asked which blast identified as Vinyl.
“Never while I am breathing.” Answered Octy as she led Blast out of the room. They walked in silence until they made their way to Octavia’s room. “Very well.” She said as she closed the door behind them. “What did you wanted to talk about dear?” Asked her while she sat on her bed inviting Blast to sit next to her.
Blast slowly sat next to her. “I needed somepony to talk to and you’re the closest thing to a family I have.” He said staring at the floor. His eyes started watering. “It’s my mother, she… she…” He started shaking.
Octavia brought him into a hug with her hoof. “Shh. It is alright.” She tried to comfort him.
He buried his head in her chest, crying wildly. “I was supposed to find something that could save her, I came here to help. And for what? ... I should have stayed with her. I should have been with her.”
Octavia moved her free hoof to stroke his mane. “You know there was nothing you could do there.” She said.
“I know. It’s just… what’s the difference? If I had stayed there, I could at least be there for her. I left her all alone and now she’s… she’s… *sight* What do I do now? She was the only reason I had to be in this mission. With her gone, I don’t know what to do.”
Octavia brought him closer. “My dear, holding onto the ones who passed away will not bring you any good. You are very young, you have got all your life. Trust me, you will find more reasons and things to do, and you know I will always be there for you whenever you need me”
He looked up from her chest staring at her eyes. “You promise?”
Octavia smiled playfully. “I pinkie promise if you want.”
Blast broke the hug, a little appeared in his lips. “Please don’t, that pink thing scares me.”
Octavia laughed. “I know, Pinkie Pie does have that scary impression, but you get to know her you realize she always means well, and Luna she knows how to throw a party!”
He giggled. “I think being around Vinyl has finally gotten into you.”
Octavia’s smile widened. “Maybe, but I will never accept that noise she call music.” Blast lined onto her. “Do you feel better?” He nodded. “Perfect, you can stay as long as you want here, I will tell the Dinky to prepare you a room.”
Blast lay there, enjoying the warm emanating from Tavi’s body. “Thank you.” He whispered as he closed his eyes.
Endlessly, that’s what she had called it.
“Initiating System…”
Darkness, that’s what she had told him he would see.
“Lunar Program Running, Checking All Systems. Please Wait…”
Lonely, that’s how she told him he would feel.
“All Systems Checked, Activating Gravity, Stopping Cryogenic Sleep…”
Dangerous… She told him it was dangerous…
“Cryogenic Sleep Finished, Subject Shooting Blast Awaken. Welcome Back.”
He coughed. He always coughed after being in the chamber. He took a few minutes to recover his breath. “Hello Mother. Why did you wake me up?” He slowly woke up, and looked in the mirror. (Yellow tired eyes, dark green fur, dark blue main and tail, two wings. Great, at least I’m still me).
“I Have Received A Message From The Moons Base.”
“And what does the message says?” He asked while he brushed his dark blue main. (Damn it has grown a bit too much this time, I look like a filly.)
“I Have Not Reproduced It Yet. I Was Waiting For You.”
He smiled. “Always so kind. Ok, let me change this suit and we will listen to it.” He said as he walked out of the cryogenic room. “Did you have any trouble while I was asleep?” He asked while he walked down the main hall to his room.
“No Problems. All Systems Are Working Perfectly. Oxygen’s Levels normal. Gravity Generator Working Without Malfunctions. Everything Is Working Perfectly My Dear Shooting Blast.”
The spaceship wasn’t a big deal. After all it was Equestria’s first spaceship. It counted with a control room situated at the front of the ship. There were eight other rooms in the ship: the first two rooms were dormitories, the third was the cryogenic chambers, the fourth was the laundry, the fifth was the dining room, the sixth was the entertaining room, the seventh was Mother’s room, and the eighth was the engines room. All rooms were connected by a hallway, which started at the control room and ended at the back of the ship: the engines room.
Blast smiled again. He took out his cryogenics clothes, opened his closet and took a clean white lunar uniform. He put it on and walked to the control room. The door of the room opened as he approached it.
The control room wasn’t very big. In the middle of it was a chair surrounded by keyboards. He walked to the chair and sat down. Automatically, a holographic screen appeared over the keyboards. “Alright Mother, let’s watch it.”
“On It My Dear.” After saying this, a video appeared in the holographic screen. “Received: One Thousand; Tree Hundreds, Thirty Two Stellar Date, Equestrian Date: Two Thousand, One Hundred, Forty Five…”
(I have been asleep for a pretty long time). He though.
“Initiating, Please Wait… Hello my dear Shooting Blast…”
(Luna, I should have known it). He though as he smirked.
“… It has been a long time since our last messages. I would like to say I am speaking just to know how you are, but I am afraid this is not the case. As you had heard the war with the changelings is far from over and now the Griffon’s empire has joined the conflict. Unfortunately, Equestria is paying the price: the planet is losing its magic…”
“Even I could saw that coming.” Blast said sarcastically.
“… The planet stability is almost destroyed. We are running out of options. If we don’t find a new source of magic soon, there will be no salvation for Equestria. Please reply as soon as you receive this. And now something more personal…”
Blast expression changed, he sat upright and focused completely in the screen.
“… Last time we spoke I told you about your mother’s condition…”
He froze.
“… There is no easy way to tell you Blasty. *sight*. Your mother died this afternoon. The doctors couldn’t save her. I’m Sorry…”
His mind went blank. The video went on but he couldn’t hear it, he only heard a voice in his head that repeated tree words… “Your Mother Died.”
The messages lasted a few more minutes but he didn’t hear anything Luna said. “Blast Are You Alright…”
“All programs mute.” Blast said emotionless.
“All Programs Mute Until Further Orders” Mother’s voice said. Then silence, that usual company Mother provided was gone leaving him in his loneliness. He spent a few minutes staring at the floor, his expression blank.
Minutes passed by like this until he spoke “Mother, call The Harmony.” Without a noise, a message appeared in the screen. Connecting, it was all it’s said.
“This is The Harmony. Who is it calling?” A female figure appeared on the screen. She had white fur and electric blue main and tail, she wore purple shades that covered his eyes and the white uniform of the lunar program
.
“Communicate me with Captain Philharmonica.” Blast said.
“Blasty? OH MY GOD!! Kid how are you doing? It’s been ages since I last heard from you! Why does your hair looks like the one of a filly?” The mare said excitedly.
“Vinyl please, I am not in the mood.” He said.
The mare in the screen lifted his shades showing a pair of red crimson eyes, her expression showing clear sings of worry “You ok kiddo?” She said. Blast stared at her. Vinyl pressed a bottom and the screen changed.
Another mare appeared on the screen. She had a gray fur, black main and violet eyes. She wore the same white uniform everypony in the lunar program wore, except for her pink bowtie. “This is Captain Octavia Philharmonica, Who is talking?”
“Hi Octy…”
“Blasty? How are you dear?” Octavia said in a motherly voice.
“Listen… I… I… *sight* I need to talk to you.”
Octavia’s expression changed from happiness to worry. She tried to say something but stopped. “Where are you?” She asked.
“Sector six, Vector nine, five, one.” He said.
“Very well, change to vector three, eight, two. I am in sector four, we will meet in sector five.” Said Octy giving an awkwardly smile.
Blast forced a small smile and ended the transmission. “Mother, max speed to sector five, vector nine, five, one.” A simple message appeared in the screen. (Direction Selected. Estimated Arrive Time: nine hours, thirty two minutes, forty seven seconds.)
Shooting Blast got up from the sit and walked to the door. “Mother let me know when we are arriving.” And saying this he left the control room. He entered his room and sat on the bed staring at the floor.
Minutes passed, and he just stayed there staring blankly at the floor, those three words echoing in his head. His eyes started watering blurring his vision. His body started shaking. He brought his hooves to his head and started sobbing. He slowly laid in his bed, burying his face in the pillow.
“I am sorry mother… I couldn’t make it on time…"
