<--- --- --->
.
Twilight Sparkle had just sat down on her throne before the round table with the map of Equestria on it. Her friends, including Spike already in their respective seats.
The shock over the table long since past and forgotten. The mission it initially sent them on may have caused some excitement, then discomfort. The occurrence now a routine. To be honest, even if Twilight Sparkle missed her old friend and mentor explaining the situation, even she had realised, Princess Celestia may have more pressing issues to tend to. Even Luna and Cadence have their own duties to contend with.
Thankfully, the Princesses came over from time to time, or invited them over for some Royal affairs or another. After a while, these occurrences had grown so customized and common, even Princess Twilight Sparkle was happy with the time she could spend with her old friend.
<--- --- --->
There was commonly some discussion as to what the Tree of Harmony had meant for them to do. Rainbow Dash pointing out the dangers and adventures the route potentially held. The regular banter on the subject still feeling fresh and new to the friends.
Sticking to tradition so recently established; the image of their marks appeared over the small, but bustling village of Ponyville; from where the group of Cutiemarks then moved to a new location on the map. Where it was commonly was a new position they had never seen before. There was a new task for them to complete, something that needed to be done. More often than not, it was getting Ponies back to the harmonious route on which they had been traveling before.
<--- --- --->
This time was like before, the marks traveling to a new spot, traversing the path through the Everfree forest, this time. Ending up in a clearing of calm grasses, where the next adventure was to take off.
“Why do we have to go through the Everfree forest?” Rarity complained.
“Because it is the way to our next adventure!” Rainbow Dash declared bluntly with a wide grin on her face.
“That old forest has grown uncharacteristically content and timid Ah reckon!” Applejack pointed out.
“With the tree of harmony fully active and Luna back in service, I guess this was bound to happen!” Twilight Sparkle pointed out.
“You even pulled Discord out of his old pattern of creating Chaos, Fluttershy!” Spike pondered.
“Time we get going!” Twilight Sparkle pointed out.
“At times like these, who has time to rearrange her baking cheats?” Pinkie Pie blurted out in a random burst of words so common to her.
<--- --- --->
Surprisingly enough, there was a wide path from the castle, straight through the forest, all the way to the clearing where the adventure was to take off.
What was not just a mild surprise, but a fair shock to the small band of Ponies; is the object resting before them.
“What in the name of Celestia is that?” Twilight Sparkle inquired.
"It's just a Manta Ray, Silly Princess!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed, giggling hysterically.
“What is a Manta Ray, and why did the Tree send us here now?” Rarity put forth.
“To be exact, it is a ship, meant to take us to far-flung places!” Pinkie Pie squealed in excitement.
“Why do we need a ship, and why does it have to look like this? This doesn’t make any sense!” Rarity complained.
“This is the Harmony, fitting name, considering who built it in the first place. If you intend to stand here, bickering; I go in and fly off while you have your tea party!” Pinkie Pie put forth, bouncing towards the ship, approaching the entrance in the front.
<--- --- --->
As she closed in, the maw opened up, permitting her entrance. She continued, almost as if nothing had actually happened, leaving her friends, mouth agape.
“What was that?” Fluttershy inquired, shocked by the change in the situation before her.
“She left us behind; that is what happened, Fluttershy!” Rarity pointed out in indignation over her friend.
“We need to follow her in. The Tree sent us here and now we have a mission to take care of!” Twilight Sparkle exclaimed.
<--- --- --->
“Ah reckon!” Applejack confirmed, turning in the direction Pinkie Pie had so recently disappeared.
“Exactly!” Rainbow Dash echoed as she swooped down, entering the ship.
“The ship has a surprisingly organic design and outlook!” Twilight Sparkle observed, looking around with eyes wide open in surprise.
“Surprisingly hot in here, Ah reckon!” Applejack pointed out as she had entered the airlocks.
“A bit dark, though!” Fluttershy complained as the mouth of the Manta Ray closed behind her.
The next moment the room grew bright, the walls glowing with bright light from all sides. The next set of doors opening up for them, a path leading to the Command Deck.
<--- --- --->
“As large as it seems from outside, at least it isn’t quite as daunting as the initial impression of my castle!” Twilight Sparkle put forth.
“Interesting design, it has a crystalline feel to it, yet the atmosphere is utterly organic in here!” Rarity put forth.
“Feels like entering a cave, but looks more as if we had entered the belly of a beast?” Applejack observed in her own way, affording a brave smile.
“The tree is definitely crystal, just like my castle. Why shouldn’t the ship be made out of crystal as well?” Twilight Sparkle concluded.
“Tidy, I like how easy it should be to keep it clean. Assuming we need to!” Rarity pointed out with a relieved smile, winking to her friends.
<--- --- --->
Behind the next bend the cave-like corridor opened up into what was to pass for the Command Deck. Two large windows before them. Several comfortable seats lined up in a semi circle, and several more behind them. Clearly, this is requiring a large crew.
Looking closer, each seat had a mark on the back in the fashion of the throne in the castle.
“These are clearly our seats!” Twilight Sparkle put forth, looking at the central chair with her star on the back.
“This is mine!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed, pointing at the balloons of a chair to the right of Twilight Sparkle.
<--- --- --->
Orbital Incident
<--- --- --->
Author's Note
Sequin Star's POV
Orbital Incident: 2
<--- --- --->
A Round Table Prelude
<--- --- --->
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”Do you see what I see?” I asked my fellow crew members in a general, open question.
“I don’t know if I like how that came out, but if it is a dark shadow hiding the Moon, I fear it is what I see too!” Pilot Dawn Walker responded.
“I left my Marine Biology classes behind when I signed up for the NASA program, I don’t regret that for an instant. I guess the Marine Biology is regretting my leave?” Engineer Smith pointed out with some irritation to her voice.
“So, are we all seeing this black, iridescent glowing Manta obstructing our Lunar view?” Communications officer Ruby inquired with urgency.
“I wish I could have denied, but I fear that would summon what we are all seeing!” I responded with a flatness to my voice.
“For now, it is probably wiser not to say anything to Ground Control. Even if we are all agreeing to what it is we see, but it is on the far side of Earth. Nothing we say right now will make any difference to the objectives of the mission we are sent to complete. Yet, it may send them tumbling into shock. Besides, it may tarnish or even destroy our respective positions and careers. What good is that, before we can say anything tangible?” Ruby summarized the situation with all required clarity.
“Then we continue with our mission as planned. Just keep an eye out for any development on the alleged vehicle we observed. There is no point in any further distraction from what we have at hand!” Commander Amy Forthright declared in her usual authoritative voice.
<--- --- --->
“They are still continuing with their intended mission, which is good. We are merely here to observe!” Commander Twilight pondered, speaking mainly to hear herself paint the scenario before herself.
“Just how long will it take them to discover us? Even if they do complete the tasks of their initially intended mission first, but they are bound to find us even here!” Ditzy responded.
“I could attempt to move us out of the line of sight, but this would require for me to fire up the engines in order to move!” Pinkie Pie, the Pilot suggested.
“If they have not yet seen us, they are bound to notice it, when you fire up the engines!” Engineer Applejack prompted sternly.
“By no means, start the engines if there is any chance they may detect them at this point!” Twilight prompted in no uncertain terms.
“Aye, Aye; Ma’am!” Pinkie responded, as she opted to keep the engines clearly off line until further notice.
“They are clearly in communication with their ground base. I need to listen in, in order to determine exactly what they are talking about. If it is merely a status report, or if they are alerting their command about us!” Com Officier Rarityinterjected politely but to the point.
“Monitor them, but do not engage before I give the word!” Twilight prompted.
“Aye, Aye. Will do!” Rarity responded, turning back to the sounds in her head phones.
Applejack, the engineer was idly eyeing her colleague Fluttershy who had nothing to do at the moment.
“I hope they move out of sight soon, so we can make the intended adjustments!” Recruit Ditzy pondered.
<--- --- --->
“Funny, they don’t move. What could they possibly be doing there? Are they observing us, or do they expect something to happen?” Walker pondered in a more annoyed tone of voice.
“Not sure I want to know!” Smith returned, as she noticed the tone of voice.
“Keep an eye open and let me know the instant they do anything. We work on the assumption that they are there, for now. If they don’t do anything, we could as well finish the mission!” Amy pointed out.
“Makes sense. If they do anything I can report back, I will let you know. If there is anything I will also report back to Huston, and ask for further instruction, but only if I have anything I can forward!” Ruby responded.
<--- --- --->
The lunch-break was just over and the technicians came back from their break. There was just the one face lit up, watching the communication, even though the channel was dead and quiet at the time. She had to be there, just in case. Naturally, she knew the links by heart. All the various specialist groups. Even the mess hall, in case of an emergency.
“The line is still inactive, nothing to report!” Com Officier White responded.
“As long as you can see the transponder beating properly, they are not expected to keep the line busy, unless they have something to say. I expect the next report in about an hour, when they are to report the status of the project, according to estimated conclusion of the next task!” the First Technician countered in bemusement.
“The transponder is beating a steady march, loud and clear. We are not expecting anything out of the ordinary, thankfully. Wait, I have the Lunar Observatory on a separate frequency. They have apparently spotted an unidentified vehicle moving close to them. We need to instruct the observatory closest to them to zoom in on the position, just to be safe!” White pointed out in a sudden spurt of activity, reading the coordinates and send a message to the observatories that were available.
“We just picked up your request, zooming in on the coordinates now. I hope you have something interesting for us. Our time is expensive and precious. Did you say that the object of your interest is within the Luna-Earth System?” came the first response from the observatory.
“Thank God, you could respond with haste. The Lunar observatory reported a sighting most recently. Even if the report is inconclusive, but it is of the uttermost import and the highest priority to have it confirmed. This isn’t merely a wayward Asteroid or Commet, is it?” White responded.
“Our preliminary report stated that it is not a stellar object of any kind. This is a vehicle, a spaceship, as it were. It isn’t of Earthern origin. There is something about the design that gives a shill to the bone. It is a Manta, close relative to the Shark, but this is not a fish, but a ship!” came the response from the observatory.
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Episode
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