Beyond Equestria

Chapters

1. The Beginning is only the End
2. Everything Changes, and other Background Information
3. Time to Meet the Crew

1. The Beginning is only the End

Some say that at the heart of every star lies a single stone, pure in every sense of the word. But then again ponies used to think that the world was flat so I wouldn’t put too much faith in sayings myself. I just thought you’d like to know, I found it quite curious.

Who am I you ask? Well, that is a story for another time. Yes, I know, those words sound like the biggest escape from a conversation ever, but it’s true. For now let’s focus on that male pony struggling through the snow over there. What pony? Why, that one over there.

The snow seemed to be a different colour today, white rather than snow white. Ultimately, it was all of little concern to the pony struggling through the snow as it lashed him at 105km an hour. He knew that thanks to the sensor network he had built into his snow goggles. It provided him with information about the wind speed, temperature, time and many other figures he had since studiously avoided ever paying attention to. But today for some reason, he actually looked at the fancy technology he had worked on.

It was hard enough walking this road normally, as it seemed to always be coated in ice. He found that his hooves just couldn’t get a grip. For the thousandth time he reminded himself to get some ice shoes. Suddenly his train of thought was interrupted by the smell of burning and a dull ‘whump’ that could only be an explosion. Normally he would disregard them as troublemakers sabotaging military vehicles or buildings, but this was different. This far out of town it could only be one thing. Home.

The snow made it impossible to see as the pony stumbled further down the road he was pretty sure led home. It was quite hard to run on ice but somehow he managed it. Suddenly a gap in the snow whipping through the air revealed the road further ahead, and the sheer cliff that lay at the end. “Buck” he cursed. Quickly turning around, albeit with about 5 meters of sliding, he leapt into the forest just to the left of the path, hoping it was the right way. It provided some shelter from the wind, allowing him to run quickly in the direction he thought the explosion had come from.

Branches lashed his face, roots tore at his legs, fears plagued his mind, anxiety tore at his heart and the chill bit through the four layers of clothes he had on. But still he pushed on. Despite all that could be happening the only thought in his head was “Trees suck” repeated over and over again as he caught another branch or stumbled on another root.

After a minute of desperate running he emerged quickly out of the forest. The outline of his house stared at him through the storm. A modest two story building it didn't quite strike fear into the soul, especially because it was leaning slightly to the left. Only, it was upside down. And come to think of it, so was everything else. What was going on?! Was he delirious, had the cold finally got to him, or, he gulped, was he dead? The last theory wasn't helped by a hooded and robed figure that was drawing closer, as the pony desperately tried to work out what was going on. The figure loomed over him and a claw clutched at the air as a deep voice said, “What are you doing down there you silly filly?”
The truth struck him like a bolt of warm ice through the heart, a shock but a pleasant one “Very funny Star” the pony said “When did you get so tall?”

It took a while for the other pony to respond as they were too busy laughing. “I got this tall the moment you fell over”
Obviously he was very confused, until it sunk in. He had fallen over on a rock hidden in the snow, and flipped over onto his back. All he could manage at this realization was a quiet “Oh”
Flipping over in the most awkward and ungraceful fashion ever achieved by pony kind, he pushed himself into a standing position. He began to walk towards the house when he was hit by a sudden realization, “When did you get a claw Star?”
“What, this?” lifting up the claw from under the robe “This is the claw to move coals in the fire, you silly filly”

Sighing, he pushed open the door to the house, ignoring the claw wielding maniac he lived with, and stepped into the delicious warmth of inside the house. It was a scarcely decorated room, neither of its occupants really thought it was necessary to cover the pale blue walls in decorations. The only embellishments were a mirror and a framed photo of four ponies that was dull from age. Cold light seeped in through the window, revealing a scene of utter chaos. Chunks of unidentifiable substances lay strewn on the ground. A blue stain discoloured the carpet. All of this he’d seen before, it was old news. His eyes roamed the room, trying to discover the source of the explosion. The fire blazed in the fireplace of to the left of the room. That wasn't strange either, it always had to be burning, otherwise the temperature would drop drastically. What was strange however was the pulsing green goo in front of the fire and the fact that the flames were pink. With another sigh he turned around and asked the other pony calmly, “What is that?”
“Ah, that” a faint smirk twisted their face for a moment before it disappeared “That was my failed attempt to see if apples were flammable”
“Don’t lie to me Star” he warned “Everypony knows that apples are flammable, and that is not just apples” he said, pointing a hoof at the pulsing goo on the floor.
“Alright, there was some tree sap, snow melt, Ursa fur, milk, and...”
“How in hell did you manage to get Ursa fur?” he interrupted
“Well you see, it was very simple, I snuck out into the forest…”
And then the door exploded.

Author's Note

Well this is it, chapter one. I know there is only a very slim chance that anyone will ever read this but hey, ultimately this is mostly for me. To put my ideas on paper and feel like i'm, contributing to the brony community. But to anyone who does read this, enjoy! Regardless of public opinion (from the one reader) chapter 2 will appear whenever I get round to it. And, as i suspect will become a regular thing, feedback is always appreciated, no matter how harsh. All for self-betterment.

2. Everything Changes, and other Background Information

Now, I should probably interject here and say that things may have been a bit confusing in that piece of the story. I’m not going to apologise, sometimes a little confusing can be good, keeps you on your, whatever you stand on. As a great, uh, thing once said “What fun is there in making sense?” But I can assure you, it gets good from here on in.

The pony was thrown to the ground by the explosion, chunks of wood flying everywhere, and spluttered as smoke filled the room. Once again, despite the situation, he found himself thinking “I just painted that door”
Coughing, he pulled himself to his feet as a group of armed and armoured ponies filled the doorway. Warily looking around, he helped the other pony to stand, deploying the small weapon he had attached to his hoof.

“What is your name?” asked one of the presumed soldiers, his voice distorted by the mask on the helmet he had on, as he pointed a gun into the room.
“My favourite colour is blue before you ask”
“Cheeky as always” said a new pony just beginning to walk through the door
“Is there a reason you’ve burst into my house and broken down my door Cobalt?”

The new arrival was jet black, with a white mane. A small beard clung to his muzzle, and a sparkle lit up his yellow eyes. A cutie mark of a telescope pointed at the heavens sat proudly on his flank, and the hooves that tread carefully into the room were well kept. The only protection against the cold he had was a scarf and hat.

Cobalt snorted as he drew further into the room. “I figured I should make a dramatic entrance” both ponies were now eye to eye. A smile split the face of both ponies as they embraced each other. Is there anything manlier than two ponies in a man hug?
“It is good to see you again Cobalt”
“Stand down soldiers” Cobalt said “Do you know who this guy is, and what he can do?”
Both ponies began to walk outside when the first guard heard a whisper in his ear
“My name is Nova by the way”

If I may interject here, yes our hero’s name is Nova. I like to be a bit creative with the way I tell this story. And I love to see the confused look on everyone’s faces. Anyway, this bit gets interesting.

Nova and Cobalt were deep in conversation when the other pony dashed out of the house towards them. “And this must be Starlight Dancer is it?” Cobalt said as the other pony drew closer.
“Yeah, same old sister” Nova sighed as Starlight slipped and skidded up to them.
“I’ll have you know I don’t go by ‘Starlight’ that’s so over the top, it’s just Star” Said the mare at their feet.
“Get up Star” said Nova sternly. “You and I both know that Cobalt wouldn’t turn up out of the blue for something that wasn’t important”
Star slowly pulled herself up as Cobalt and Nova continued walking towards the waiting truck.
Snow was falling gently onto the ground, the strong wind now but a distant memory. The only sounds were the breathing of the group and the soft crunch of snow under hooves. That tranquil silence was broken by one simple sentence “You’re right Nova, this is important, things are bad”
What followed was an oddly relaxing journey. Despite the knowledge being poured into his head, Nova couldn’t help but feel a sense of tranquillity, as if, on some level, he had been expecting this.
“Equestria is dying Nova” Cobalt said. “We’ve known it for a while now, ever since the princesses left”

Nova and Star knew the story well, their parents had told it to them when they were younger. Legend said that of the four Princesses of old, only two had stayed. Their real names had long since been lost, but all knew of their sudden departure, and the years of chaos that had followed. That one event had shattered the mind-set that ponies had had for centuries, the belief that the princesses would always rule, and keep them safe. The two that stayed found life becoming harder and harder for them, until they were forced into exile, forced away from their kingdoms. Nova had always thought this was just a story, but Cobalt had just said it as a statement of fact.

“In fact, many scientists believe that the damage was done in the time before that, that the princesses’ departure wasn’t a departure” Cobalt said
“What was it then?” Star demanded
“It was an evacuation”

What followed was a story that shook Nova to his core. Apparently, during the reign of the princesses there had been a group of 6 ponies who defended the land against invaders. This defence had earned those ponies great prestige, and they had become drunk on it. One founded Sweet Apple Industries, a company that now effectively ruled the planet. The company had no respect for the land, it had destroyed swathes of land to make way for factories and plantations.

This was not the only damage done, Cobalt explained, one of the ponies’ perilous mistake had decimated Pegasus kind, destroying the ancient city of Cloudsdale, and almost destroying the Pegasus species. Another of the group had held a gathering of such debauchery and immorality that it had corrupted an entire generation of ponies, sparking conflict and disorder across the land. Cobalt’s tale ranged from the pony who had disappeared into the wilderness, taking all the animals with them, to another who had gone further and further into the pursuit of perfection in their art, to the point where they began to carry out unspeakable horrors.

All of this had cost the land, to the point where it had simply failed. Without Pegasi to control the weather, it had raged out of control. The soil failed, thanks to SAI’s relentless exploitation. Eventually the Princesses had done all they could, and had fled into the sky, never to be seen again. “Conditions have deteriorated, right up until today” Cobalt finished
“So what are we going to do?” Nova asked “What is your great plan to save the world”
Cobalt chuckled as a hulking facility drew closer ahead of them. “Oh Nova, ever the optimist” Star and Nova both gasped as the contents of the facility came into view.
“We’re not going to save this planet” Cobalt said
“We’re going to leave it”

Author's Note

Well chapter 2, the seven people who have read the first chapter at the time of writing hopefully want a second chapter. Let's hope that many more chapters appear after this!

3. Time to Meet the Crew

It took Nova a few seconds to realise what he was looking at. It was a colossal room, so tall he couldn’t even see the top, as it was hidden in shadow. But the room itself was not what rendered Nova speechless, it was what occupied it.

It looked almost like a long white tree, only without leaves or branches, and made of metal. Nova could just make out a bridge connecting the top of the ship to the wall. Steam erupted from sections of the ship at random intervals from different areas of the long tube. One of these outbursts snapped Nova out of his awestruck gazing as he realised Cobalt hadn’t stopped, and was waiting in an elevator further down the room. Nudging Star, who was similarly paralysed with awe, Nova continued towards the elevator. Looking around, he realised the sheer scale of what he suspected Cobalt had planned. Ponies scurried about everywhere, all seemingly having some task to do. Some wore high-vis outfits, while others carried stacks of papers in saddlebags.

“Impressed?” asked Cobalt, a slight smile spreading across his face. Nova could only nod, his voice refusing to work for him. “I thought so” said Cobalt, “I would be disappointed if you weren’t” the elevator doors hissed shut as Star entered, and it smoothly began to descend. “How deep does this facility go?” Nova asked, as the level screen flicked over to -20, meaning that they were 20 floors below ground. “Only about 40 floors or so” Cobalt said casually. Nova was staggered, 30 floors below ground was not something casual, especially in this day and age. The elevator stopped at -34 and the doors opened to reveal a long cold metal corridor, with doors every few metres. Cobalt led the group to about halfway down the corridor, and opened a door with a scan of his eye from a wall mounted scanner. It beeped and Nova entered to a room dominated by a large table, around which sat 2 ponies.

One was a unicorn, who sat in the corner reading a stack of papers sitting on the table. He was short, probably only about Star’s height, and she must be at most half his age. His mane was well kept, forming a wave of purple hair spilling over a chocolate brown coat. The other pony was almost hidden, standing in the corner of the room, glaring at the group as they entered. She was an earth pony, as far as Nova could tell, spotting no wings or a horn. Her coat was dark green, and her mane was kept short, but it was still a shade of pale blue. “Have a seat” Cobalt said, gesturing to the multitude of empty seats.

“I’m Monoceros Gagarin” Said the unicorn pony, nodding in welcome “But no one calls me that, too much of a mouthful, everyone calls me Buck instead” Star started laughing as soon as Buck was done talking, “What is so funny?” Nova asked, glaring at his sister so hard he could have drilled a hole to the planets core. “Buck!” Star giggled, “That’s a bad word, what we say instead of fu-” she was cut short by the hoof covering her mouth, kindly placed there by Nova. “You know that’s not true Star, don’t be immature” she nodded as Nova removed his hoof, followed by an apologetic glance to Buck. “And because I doubt she’ll introduce herself, that is Alfriston” Cobalt said, gesturing at the earth pony in the corner. A glare from her added the second half of Cobalt’s sentence “But if you ever call her that she’ll break your legs” he said in a voice that betrayed the fact this was an often repeated line. Nova glanced over at the pony “What do I call you then tough gal?” he asked. The pony stared at him for a moment before saying “Alf”

“Well now, you’ve met everyone” Cobalt said, as he walked further around the table towards a projector placed on the table. “I would highly recommend you pay attention now Nova” he said as the projector began to spit out beams of light onto the wall. “This is the Equuleus” he said as a computer generated image appeared on the projection, and immediately Nova was struck by a problem, “That’s bigger than what’s out there” Nova said, nodding his head towards the door. “I’m surprised you noticed” Cobalt said “You aren’t quite the idiot you were back in the day” Nova smirked as Cobalt continued “Nova is quite right, this is bigger than what is in the hangar, and that’s because most of the ship is already in orbit, ready to go” the projection flicked over to a picture of a ship in space, exactly the same as the image previously shown, except missing a piece on the end, which Nova presumed was the cockpit. “We are only missing one piece, and once we have that we will be ready to go” Cobalt said.

“And what piece is that?” Star asked excitedly. Both Nova and Cobalt smiled as Star stumbled right into the verbal trap that Cobalt had set. “Why, that piece is a pilot” Cobalt said. “And who is that?” Star asked, once again falling into one of Cobalt’s traps. Cobalt snorted as he said “Well that depends on Nova” Star gasped as she realised what was happening “You mean that you want my brother to fly that big piece of metal through space?” she asked. Everyone around the table nodded and sighed as the penny finally dropped for her. All Star could manage was a weak “Oh” followed by “Why him?” Cobalt glanced at Nova, who nodded. “Because Nova is one of the last Pegasus ponies left in the world” Star spun around and looked at Nova incredulously, staring at him as if trying to determine the nature of existence. “You’re not a Pegasus, I’ve never seen you fly, or have wings” but her jaw dropped as Nova slowly shrugged off the vest he was wearing, and a pair of powerful wings snapped out.

“But why?” Star asked “Why keep this a secret?” Nova struggled to find the words to explain. “Because I wanted to keep you safe” he said “Pegasus ponies are highly sought after, made into slaves to control the weather” Star slumped into her chair as Nova looked at her. “You’re not mad are you?” he asked nervously “Or upset with me?” it took a moment for Star to reply as she shook her head “I have a brother that can fly, how awesome is that?!” she cried as she ran over and hugged him.
Everyone in the room couldn’t help but smile.

Author's Note

Well Chapter 3. To those who actually give a damn here it is. Sorry the gap between 2 and this is bigger than between 1 and 2, got distracted by other goings on. Enjoy!