3

Arriving at the waiting bay, Rainbow Dash, Roseluck, and Applejack were relieved to see that they could finally sit down and take a break. After finishing their six hour trip to the top of the Space Elevator, all the ECDF recruits on the platform were immediately shuffled out and rushed through the busy Space Hub as they were ushered towards their waiting bay. With a distance of at least a mile and a half to their waiting bay, the experience was a tiring one, especially for the old mares and stallions who composed the new recruits.

With all the wonders and technology inside the Space Hub, the three ponies found it quite annoying that they can’t stop and marvel at everything that was presented to them. It just seemed unfair that they couldn’t enjoy any of this, not even for a single second. The only thing they could do is catch some glimpses of their surroundings as they were herded by the ECDF officials who were in charge of them.

Looking around, as she moved with the group, Rainbow Dash could easily see that the Space Hub was packed with Ponies, Griffons, and other creatures from Equestria who qualified as a colonist and were waiting to be sent off to their new planet in which they will settle their lives.
She saw families sit and wait in their waiting bays, trying to entertain themselves with the endless amount of gadgets that were provided to them, while rummaged through their luggage, trying to check if they left anything behind. Each waiting bay was filled with a mixture of different races, as they were about to start their lives in a new planet.

Turning her gaze towards the large crystal window that provided a view for each waiting bay, Rainbow Dash noticed the distant space vessel that was waiting and orbiting by them. Even from a distance, she could see that this vessel was bigger than any pony made vessel that she had seen before. To her, it looked like somepony took a skyscraper and strapped engines to it, because it was huge! She wondered how long it would have taken to build one of those vessels. Despite the fact that ponies had magic and technology on their side, building a space going vessel would have took a lot of time, as well as used up tons of money material.

Keeping her gaze towards the window, and trying not to trip as she trotted around, she watched as refueling and supply shuttles buzzed towards it, ready to provide the vessel with anything it needed.

With the Space Hub being connected to the Space Elevator, and the planet below them spinning, it would be too dangerous to risk having a space going vessel docked to the Space Hub. So supplies, fuel, passengers, and anything that was needed by the vessel was transported by Shuttles, which went back and forth from the Space Hub to the space vessel. It was a safe and efficient way of doing thing, although it was also time consuming, since there were only three shuttles assigned per vessel.

Rainbow Dash was still watching the intricate ballet of the when she heard Applejack mutter something about the colonist.

“Look at them…” She told her and Roseluck. “…it’s like they haven’t seen old ponies walk in a group before.” She then motioned them to look at a group of colonist in one of the waiting bays who were watching them make their way through the Space Hub, staring while some took pictures of them.

“Well, we are quite a sight.” Roseluck informed.

“Yeah.” Rainbow Dash said agreeing, as she looked away from the staring colonist. “It’s not every day you see a group of old ponies being herded around to a place which is almost two miles away.”

She put on a grin on her face a she stated in a proud tone. “Besides, let them stare. Because they are currently looking at their future protectors. Like, if we aren’t here, then those colonies their going would lose its protection and be left undefended.”

“Well, Rainbow….I guess you’re right. But I still don’t feel comfortable watching them stare at me. Reminds me of those days when we and the girls were at our height as the Elements of Harmony. Reporters just won’t stop bugging us and take pictures as we trot through town just to hang out at Sugar Cube Corner.”

“Oh, you mean during the time when Ponyville was wrecked in a weekly basis?” Roseluck, inquired.

“Hey, it wasn’t our fault!” Rainbow Dash defended. “It wasn’t our fault that Ponyville was the center of attention for every disaster that could possibly happen in Equestria.”

“Sure it wasn't.” Roseluck said. “It’s not like the Elements of Harmony are a prized target for the enemies of Equestria or anything.”

Rainbow Dash just rolled her eyes and muttered something about it not being their fault. The rest of the journey to the waiting bay continued, with the three mares chatting as they trotted. The ECDF representatives that were ushering then around didn’t really care if they talk or not, as long as they were keeping up and making good time.

Arriving at the bay, they found it half filled with other old mares and ponies who have had arrived there earlier. Making their way to the forming crowd of old ponies, they found some seats and gently plotted themselves there, to rest their tired hooves.

“Who-we!” Applejack exclaimed. “If that short trot was already tiring, then I have no idea how I’ll be able to finish basic training.”

“Me too…” Roseluck stated, slightly exhausted from their trip. “…I don’t know what the ECDF ate to make them think the old ponies are the best candidates for their soldiers.”

“Well, Twilgiht did promise us that she and her Colonial Ministry will transform us to mares who could do the job. So they must have something in plan for us to make us reliable soldiers.” Rainbow Dash said.

“Well they better do it quick, because I don’t know how long I could keep up with these young folk who keep on ushering us around.” Applejack said with a grunt.

“I think it’s because of all the donuts you ate earlier. Those things can pack a lot of wait you know.” Roseluck teased.

“Oh, hush now.” Applejack said, refusing to accept the idea.

During that moment, an old mare with graying dark blue fur approached them with a grin plastered on her face. The mare’s white mane was tied on the back, while letting the bangs in the front fall forward. Despite of the fact that she had just arrived in front of them, Rainbow Dash couldn’t help but feel a sense of familiarity.

“I knew I recognized you two from somewhere.”

Scanning at the mare, she tried to figure out who she was, seeing that she seemed to remember them. She looked at her up and down, till her eyes locked on her cutie mark, which she saw was a white half crescent moon. Staring for it for a while, she sat there in concentration trying to remember where she had seen it before. With years and years of memory in her brain, it was starting to become difficult to remember such things.

Then eyes shot wide open in realization as a smile drew up on her face.

“Night Glider!” She exclaimed in happiness.

“I’m happy to see you to Rainbow Dash. You to Applejack.” She said, looking towards the orange mare.

“Well it’s nice to see you too, Night Glider…” She said before patting an empty seat beside. “…why don’t you join us over here, there’s still plenty of room over here. At least for now.”

“Yeah come and join us, it’s been a long time since we last saw each other and would be nice to talk to you again.” Rainbow Dash said nodding, as she watched Night Glider smile and accept the offer. “You know, I almost didn’t recognize you, since you’re mane style looks a little different.”

“Well, mane styles change with age.” She said. “Although this one reminds me of the mane style Starlight Glimmer used to enforce in our town when she was still in control.”

“Well, anyways…” Applejack said, not wanting to drift to a topic anything that would remind her of the day she lost her cutie mark. “…we’re glad to see you here. How’s the ECDF treating you so far?”

“Oh, it’s been good.” She said. “Been here at the Space Hub for at least fifteen hours and haven’t complained once. Aside from the fact that they rushed us here and keep us confined in this bay, there isn’t much to comment about the ECDF. At least for now.”

“Glad to hear that we’re not the only ones being rushed around.” Roseluck chirped, catching the attention of the three other ponies.

Applejack, almost forgetting about Roseluck looked at her before glancing back to Night Glider. “Oh, yeah, before I forget. This here pony is our friend back from Ponyville, Roseluck.” She said, gesturing to Roseluck as the cream colored pony waved a hoof in a form of greeting.

“Hey there, Roseluck. Name’s Night Glider…” Night Glider said, waving back. “…it’s nice to meet you.”

“And it’s nice to meet a pony who these two managed to meet during their adventures. Anypony who draws the Elements of Harmony out in an adventure is a friend to me, because every moment the Elements are out of town, is a moment where Ponyville could live in peace, without the threat of panic and destruction.”

“Hey, like I said, not our fault.” Rainbow Dash said, rolling her eyes. “Anyways, Night Glider, did you say you have been here for fifteen hours?”

“Yeah…” Night Glider said, nodding. “…and all this time, we were cooped up here, unable to leave the bay. You know, I think they don’t really like the idea of seniors trotting around this place, do they?”

“Yeah, I think so…” Applejack said, nodding. “…maybe they’re afraid of us wondering off and stowing away in one of the vessels bound for the colonies. That would explain why they kept a sharp eye when they herded us around, as well us why they keep us here under guard.”

“True…true…” Rainbow Dash said, accepting the idea. “…but who in their right minds would reject the offer of extending your life and feeling young again?”

“Ponies who suddenly had second thoughts? Roseluck suggested.

The other nodded, knowing that the idea was not an unlikely possibility. Somewhere in their group, there could be a pony who was realizing that their decision may not have been the best idea they had made. They might wonder off and sneak themselves into a colony ship, never to be seen again. Cases like that were rare, but it still happened. That’s why the ECDF rushed the recruits and kept them in one area, trying to make sure that the pony who wanted to get out won’t try to do so by boarding a colony ship.

For the pony who was having second thoughts and every other pony who accepted the ECDF’s contract, it was too late to back down now.

The rest of the wait was spent with the four ponies chatting and enjoying the view of the space vessel that they would soon be boarding. Through the large crystal pane, they could see the ECDFV Wagon, a large modified transportation vessel that was serving the ECDF as a transport for new recruits. After years of valiant service in dangerous systems, the Wagon was transferred to this job due to its size, which enabled it to transport large numbers of ponies in one go.

Now, as the new recruits of the ECDF stared at the vessel, they couldn’t help but be amaze and marvel at it. Viewing the ship, Rainbow Dash noticed that it was at least three times bigger than the colonial transport and wondered what its maximum capacity was. Surely it could fit more than the number of ponies who were in this waiting bay.

Watching the transport, she could see shuttles buzz by as they did their jobs of supplying the vessel. The shuttles were dwarfed by the Wagon as they looked like fruits bats circling Applejack’s prized gigantic apple. From supply shuttles, to shuttles who tug on large hoses for its fuel, the tiny craft prepared the giant for its journey, a journey that would take Rainbow Dash, her friends, and the rest of the recruits to the next phase of their ECDF career.

“Now this is cool.” Rainbow Dash exclaimed as she put on the glass visor the ECDF officials had given to her, upon stepping out of the transport shuttle and stepping on the Wagon’s gigantic shuttle bay.

After having been transported by the shuttle from the Space Hub to the Wagon, Rainbow Dash and the rest of the recruits have now found themselves inside the ship’s massive mess hall, which was able to accommodate then all, and then some. Tables were placed all over the room, with corresponding chairs for them to sit on, while long tables for each corner was placed, for pastries and drink to be placed on.

Applejack was more than happy to stuff herself with a plateful of pastries, after having seen that some of them were apple based pastries. Although she stated that the mass produced apples from the modern government owned farms didn’t taste as good as the fresh apples that her farm produced, she still had to admit that the pastries given to them were quite tasty.

Night Glider was munching on some muffins she had brought with her as she sat there and waited. Sugar Belle had given her a bag of muffins before she left and she was more than happy to accept the delicious muffins that the baker pony made.

“She’s one year younger than me, so she still can’t accept the contract.” Night Glider informed them. “Although if everything goes as planned, I would be able to see her after a year from now. Now I don’t know how I’m going to contact her once she’s joined, but I’m going to find a way.”

The idea of contacting friends reminded Rainbow Dash of her and Applejack’s plan of contacting their best friends. By now, they would have been in some far off system, conducting their training, while they were here, sitting around and waiting. She was already anxious to be able to see them again, but knew that she would have to wait till they meet Twilight again before being able to find a way to find the others.

Roseluck was sipping on a glass of orange juice, to the great dismay of Applejack. For the many years Rainbow Dash knew her, she had always shown a great resentment for the orange fruit. She never actually said why and Rainbow Dash never bothered asking. The only thing she thought about it was the idea of her hating orange quite funny, seeing that Applejack herself was the color orange.

As Applejack lectured Roseluck on why she should change her glass of orange juice to a nice refreshing glass of apple juice, Rainbow Dash was busy tinkering with the new device given to them. It was a technological marvel, as the visor seemed to be able to answer any question that she gave it to her.

Known as the Visual Information and Personal Assistance Device (VIPAD), the glass visor device was like a mini computer that was connected to the Wagon’s information bank, which contained thousands of data that could answer almost any question the user had.

The visor works by reading the users thoughts, as it creates a mental link with the one of who was wearing it. The only thing the user had to do was think of the request he/she wanted to give it, and the VIPAD would provide the answer by displaying it on the lenses, where the user could easily read it. Need the answer to a complicated physics problem? No problem, the VIPAD could easily connect to the ships computers and give the answer in seconds. Need to go to the restroom but you don’t know the way there? Not a sweat, the VIPAD would map out the path you would need to take. Want to know the meaning of life, the universe, and everything? Easy, its 42. Anything the user needed in terms of information, the VIPAD could provide it.

With the VIPAD’s vast information and quick answers, the device actually reminded Rainbow Dash of a certain alicorn princess. That is why, when asked to give a name for her VIPAD, she provided the name ‘Egghead’, since it was a perfect description for the device.

Now, as she sat with the others waiting, she bombarded Egghead with thousands of mental questions, trying to see if it really had an answer to everything. But with it connected to the ship’s data banks, as well as having the capability to access the ECDF’s Electronic Information Library and Link System (EILLS), which contained every bit of information known to ponykind, her mission was a fruitless one.

“Hey, Rainbow Dash, can you kindly tell us what the hay you’re doing over there?” Applejack said, finally taking notice of her sudden change of expressions, as she grew more and more frustrated at the fact that she couldn’t outsmart the device.

“I’m trying to see if there is something that this thing over here doesn’t know.” She said, gesturing to her VIPAD. “But I think it knows more stuff than Twilight does.”

“Now, Rainbow Dash, I wouldn’t say that…” Applejack said, as she opened up a file about the VIPAD’s. “Because it says right over here that Twilight and here team were the ones who made the VIPAD, as well as the EILLS, in which it takes some of its information from.”

“Well leave it to Twilight to make something that is just as smart as her. Because this thing feels like it’s connected to Twilight’s brain or something.” Rainbow Dash said, giving up on any attempts of asking it questions.

As they continued to chat about the capabilities of the VIPAD, the sliding doors on the other side of the mess hall opened to reveal a familiar looking face. To both Rainbow Dash and Applejack, who’s backs were facing the door, they didn’t notice who that pony was.
But when Roseluck pointed it out, the two turned around to see who it was. Wide grins grew on their faces as they realized who they were looking at, as the commission inside the mess hall busted with talk.

“She’s here.” Ponies would say, in disbelief, not really expecting to be lucky enough to be in her presence. With the modern technology age hitting Equestria, where ponies talk and meet to one another via video feed, it was rare to see famous ponies in real life.

It was Princess Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Friendship and head of the Colonial Ministry.

Author's Note

Decided to add some of the character from the new season. Because , why not?