Old Mare's War

by Teal

Rating: teen
Tags: Adventure, Crossover, Sex, Main 6, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Alternate Universe, Rainbow Dash, Other, Tragedy
Length: 13598

If you are given the chance to be young again, would you take it?

Ponies have finally made it to the stars! Exploring new systems and colonizing new planets. Too bad that they're not the only ones with this goal.

Despite the fact that there are a billions upon billions of planets in the universe, only a few of them are habitable by living beings. These few planets are continuously contested by the different species of the universe as they fight for homes for their ever growing population. With so many species fighting for habitable planets, Equestria has no choice but to call in the Equestrian Colonial Defense Force (ECDF) to secure it's interest in the many systems throughout different galaxies.

For an ordinary pony who lived in Equestria, not much is known about the ECDF, other than the fact that you sign-up at age sixty-five and you serve your tern at age seventy-five. Promised with the gift of having their life extended, old mares and stallions sign-up, in hopes of living longer in a world of new technologies and exploration.

One of them is the old mare named Rainbow Dash, formerly known as the fastest pegasi in Equestria and the bearer of the Element of Loyalty. With her age slowly thinking towards her final breath, she takes the offer, not knowing what dangers she would plunge herself into.

(Inspired by John Scalzi's Old Man's War. While you might see some Starship Troopers influences in the later chapters.)

Published 2015-04-05 16:40:02 UTC
Last updated 2015-05-24 00:05:41 UTC

1

Old Mare's War

By
Teal

1

Clouds burst as Rainbow Dash zipped through them, tearing right through the center as she left nothing but vapor in her trail. The young mare flew with great speed, as her sleek body and strong wings shot through the air like a dart. Her rainbow colored mane blew back against her, as her wings worked at full force, propelling her to high speeds, as she flew faster and faster with every flap. Known for her skills in flying, there was no doubt that her reputation exceeded her capabilities. Maneuvering through the skies, she flew with power and grace, diving and climbing, banking left and right. Just like her the Wonder Bolts, her lifelong idols, her movements were like a gigantic masterpiece, the blue sky as her canvas, while she herself acted as the paintbrush.

With the self-proclaimed title of ‘Best and fastest flyer in Equestria’, Rainbow Dash was always determined to keep her title and prove to others that she deserved it. With reckless arrogance and a determined spirit, she broke record after record, as well as a couple of bones on the way.

Climbing up, going and higher and higher, Rainbow Dash flew through the thick layer of clouds till she found herself high above it.

Hovering over the sea of white, she looked up to see the vast space above her. The grayish blue shade of the outer layer was a mesmerizing sight, and at the height she was flying, one would believe that it was a hoof touch away. She always had a great fascination about the space above the sky, finding it mysterious and intriguing. There was something about it that made her draw towards it, light a moth to bright light. She wanted to discover what was out there, find out new things the nopony has ever seen before.

Her adventurous side always pushed her towards fulfilling this, as she felt the need to explore and break new records. But no matter how excellent she was at flying fly, she still knew that her abilities were limited by what was possible and what was not.

Pegasi could fly high, but they can’t fly high enough to touch space. There was probably some kind of scientific reason for her not being able to reach the space above her, but she left egghead stuff like that to Twilight.

All she needed to know was the fact that pegasi had a limit, and the limit had never been passed. Despite being known for a pony who broke records, this was one record that she knew that she could never break.

Sighing, she looked away and returned her gaze towards the sea of clouds below her. Knowing that she couldn’t break that barrier, at least she could leave in the comfort of knowing that there was one barrier that she could break. In fact, she had already broke it multiple of times and was about to do so again.

Leaning forward, she folded her wings and darted down. Breaking through the cloud layer, her body fell as she let gravity do its job.

With her eyes closed, she could feel the air blowing upon her, fluttering her mane as she fell down towards the ground. She enjoyed the feeling of the wind against her, as she found it peaceful and relaxing. It helped ease her mind, as she concentrated for her next move. Like the calm before the storm, it was masking the power that was about to come.

Opening her eyes, she gave a wide grin as she started to do her signature move, a ‘Sonic Rainboom’. With one quick move, she opened her wings and gave a great push of air, flapping it with great force. It scooped a large chunk of air, which helped boost her speed to great extents. The strength needed to do this act would put a lot of strain for a normal pegasus’s wing muscles, but Rainbow Dash was a strong pony. Having flown stunts most of her life, she was fit for the task she was facing and was able to do it with ease.

By now, the wind against her face had increased, replacing the gentle and soft feeling with a hard slam, as the air in front of her tried to stop her. But it was no use, as she was moving too fast to be stopped now.

She felt the sparks of magic on her hooves, as the colorful rainbow colored aura started to engulf her. It surrounded her and left a long trail that resembled a rainbow, as she dove down at great speeds. Going fast and faster at every second, she could feel her body shake as she approached the barrier the separated her from supersonic speeds.

With adrenaline pumping in her veins, she gave one last push from her wing before closing them, keeping them matted to her body as it made her more aerodynamic.

Smiling, she felt the surge of energy as she managed to mutter some words, despite the amount of air pushing against her.

“Sonic Rainbo-“

An elderly Rainbow Dash shot awake, once again deprived from the ending of the wonderful dream. Groaning in annoyance, she slowly got off of the bed, her joints creaking at every move she made. With a forced stretch and a light yelp of pain, as her muscles ached at the sudden act, she slid her body from the mattress and got off of the bed.

Her once fit and sleek figure had given away to age, as wrinkles littered her body, while tired sore eyes replaced the once young and enthusiastic glow that radiated from her. Her once colorful mane was now nothing but a bush of gray, as her fur was also falling victim to the spreading grayness.

The once active and athletic pony was now replaced by a tired and aging mare, who only found adventure on the daily task of going up and down the stairs. Gone are the days of flying through the skies, streaking through clouds and diving from above, as her wings were now weak and frail, while her feathers started to shed off, leaving behind trails of faded cyan blue feathers.

At this age, every task that was once simple proved to be a chore, as her body found it difficult to perform them in her weak state. Despite being a fit pony during her younger years, the countless amounts of crashes and injuries she took did not do her any favors, as it weakened her body over time.

Bones that were damaged were still weak, as some of her muscle tissues remained sore from the strains that were once brought upon them. The only thing she could do to remedy the pain was to stay put, relax, and try to avoid agitating and tiring her weakened body.

The young Dash would have found it unimaginable to stay put and do nothing, but now, wise from age and weak from time, the elderly Dash found great comfort in sitting down staying still.

Besides, there were plenty of thing to do while sitting down, especially in Ponyville’s local home for the aged.

Being independent and distrusting to commitment during her younger years, it left her with no family to take care of her when she grew older. With her frail state and no one to possibly take care of her, Rainbow Dash was moved away from her dangerous cloud home to Ponyville’s home for the aged. Here, Rainbow Dash could safely live, with the assistance of the young care takers who were willing to serve the old ponies of Ponyville.

At first, she thought that staying here was boring and bland, with nothing to do but sit down and wait for something exciting to happen. But over time, she found many interesting things to do, such as re-reading her favorite books, like Daring Do, or watching shows through the H.D.S. (Holographic Display System), which she didn’t have back in her old cloud home. Life there might not have been as exciting as things were back when she was young, but they also weren’t as boring as she expected them to be.

Making her way out of the room, she closed the door behind her and moved through the hallway to meet the first challenge of the day, the staircase.

Built back during the same time of Rainbow Dash’s adult years, the house they lived in was chosen because of its homely feeling and architecture that could help elder ponies relate to their younger times. This decision proved to be a good one, as it helped relax most of the elderly ponies, but it still had one drawback, which was the staircase.

Since it was built back before Equestria’s technological boom, the building still employed the wooden staircase, instead of the futuristic tube elevator which most homes employed. One would think that somepony would at least have the decency to install one here, but after three years of promises, not a single step in providing one has been taken. This meant that the only way to go from floor to floor was the stairs.

With her weak and frail body, the staircase had proved time and time again as an enemy that was equivalent to Discord, as it mocked her of her current state and brought difficulty to her every day. It was no doubt that the staircase has become her archenemy over the years of her old age.

“Do you need help, Ms. Dash?” A kind and soft voice asked from behind her.

Turning her head around, she was met by the young and friendly face of Kind Heart, one of the care takers of the place she lived in. The young and gentle looking mare trotted next to her, and offered to assist her by using her magic to surround her with a supporting aura.

Normally, Rainbow Dash would reject the offer of help, thinking that it would bring a great blow in her pride and shatter her arrogant nature.
But after having went through an accident involving this very stairs a couple of years ago, she knew better than to reject the kind gesture.

She gave a slow nod, as Gentle Heart took it as a cue to use her magic. The two of them slowly went down the stairs; with Gentle Heart moving beside her while her magical aura lessened the weight that was straining her weary muscles and weak bones. Taking each step carefully, she made sure that all four of her hooves were touching the steps, as Gentle Heart used her magic to make the task easier.

“So…” Rainbow Dash said, trying to strike a conversation. “…how’s your granny doing?” She asked, wanting to inquire about her old friend, Nurse Redheart, who lived a couple of blocks away from the home for the aged she was living in. Having had most of her stunts end in the hospital, Rainbow Dash got to know more about Redheart with each visit, till they managed to become good friends.

“Oh, she’s alright and well.” Gentle Heart informed. “A little cranky as usual, but other than that she’s doing fine. Although she did just turn seventy-five yesterday and received her letter from the ECDF. I think she’ll be going to the recruitment center sometime this week.”

“So, she’s still planning to sign up isn’t she?” Rainbow Dash said, as they reached the last few steps. “Well good for her, you know, they say it’s a good investment to sign up to the ECDF when you’re at our age.” She noted, remembering the pamphlets of the Equestrian Colonial Defense Force, promising the ability to extend one’s age and making them feel young again. She really wasn’t sure how it was possible, but with the advancement of magic and technology in this day and age, everything that once was impossible was starting to become simply possible.

“Yeah…” Gentle Heart said nodding. “…I don’t know how they’ll make her feel young again, but if anypony can do it, it will be the ECDF. Well, here we are, do you want me to assist you to the dining room?”

“Oh, there’s no need, I can handle it myself from here.” Rainbow Dash said, politely waving her off.

“Alright…” Gentle Heart acknowledged. “…but if you need anything, just buzz me.” With that, she gently trotted away to finish the other chores she had for the day.

Trotting towards the kitchen, she was greeted by the sight of a large cake that was placed at the center of the dining room table, while a smiling orange colored mare stood sat on a chair beside it. Looking towards the mare, she could see that she was old and frail like her, as her drooping eyes were kept open by sheer will power.

“Happy Birthday, Rainbow Dash.” She said, with a weak yet cheerful tone, as she did her best to get up and give her a weak hug.

“Oh, AJ, you shouldn’t have.” Rainbow Dash said, breaking from the hug and staring at the big cake. “I never knew you could bake.”

“Well, I can’t and I won’t say I made that.” Applejack said, as she gently plotted herself back to her seat. “That right there was made by Pumpkin and Pound Cake. Once they learned it was you’re seventy-fifth birthday, they were more than happy to bake it for you for free. They were even kind enough to deliver it here, a good thing too, seeing that I ain’t as strong as I was before.”

Back in Applejack’s younger years, she would have carried that cake with great ease. But after years of apple bucking, putting great strains on her muscles, her body had grown weak and weary. Just like her granny before her, Applejack’s hips brought great pain with every movement, making her understand why Granny Smith was always cranky.

“Well, it was kind off them to bake this for me.” Rainbow Dash said, taking a seat beside her friend and staring at the cake, noticing the amount of icing that was covering it. “Uhh, this isn’t too sweet, is it?” She asked, not wanting to raise her blood sugar levels to heights that would cause problems.

“Not to worry, sugar cube, Pumpkin Cake assured me that the batter and icing over here was specially made for us old folk, sweet but not too sweet.” The orange mare reassured.

“Well that’s good…” She said nodding. “…I don’t want to end this special day with a trip to the hospital.”

Applejack let out a short chuckle, before remembering something important. “Speaking of special day…” She said, as she picked up something from the other seat beside her. “…I think there’s a letter here that might make this day even more special.”

Realizing what her friend meant, Rainbow Dash’s eyes went wide, as a gleeful smile was plastered on her face. She could feel her body tingle in excitement as she watched Applejack pull out a golden letter, with the stamp of the ECDF marked in front of it.

“You know, it's been ten years since we signed-up, but I can still feel the thrill by just holding this letter.” She said in an excited tone. “You know what this means, right?” She then asked, facing the earth pony who sat beside her.

Nodding her head, she gave out a smirk, as she too knew what this all meant. “Eyup, means that we could finally be free from the pains of an old pony, as well as being reunited with our friends. Well, if we managed to meet them that is, but I’m sure Twilight would find a way to accomplish that.”

Having planned all of this ten years earlier, Rainbow Dash and the rest of her close friends (Fluttershy, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Applejack) all decided that they weren’t going to let themselves wither from age, especially during a time where Equestria was seeking new places in the stars as technology drifted as fast as the wind.

Convinced by their immortal friend, Princess Twilight Sparkle, they all decided to sign-up for the ECDF and take their chances on the promise of life extension. As the head of the Colonial Ministry, which were the ECDF was under, Twilight had assured them that her ministry had the magic and technology to extend their lives and returning them to a state that was more fit and health than they would have ever achieved via normal means. Although she didn’t say how they were going to do it, she did say that the process was painless and quick. A procedure that she said was designed by herself, it would enable old ponies to live longer and become a more useful soldier for the ECDF.

Soldiers.

That was one of the problems that they worried about when Twilight suggested it. Having your life extended was one thing, but having your life extended for the purpose of being a soldier was another. The Eqestrian Colonial Defense Force was the armed branch of the Colonial Ministry and was in charge of protecting the interstellar colonies of Equestria from foreign threats. Although those threats have never been revealed to the public, Rainbow Dash and her friends were sure that they meant aliens who wanted to kill them and tear them to bits.

These thoughts made the weary of Twilight’s suggestion as they planned on backing away from the offer. But after giving it more thought, they finally decided to agree with the offer. Seeing that they would still end up dead, after a couple of years, if they didn’t accept the offer, they might as well take the chance. Besides, it would also mean that they would be able to explore the space outside their planet, as space travel was limited to Colonial Settlers (Who had a picky system on who’s fit or not) and the ECDF (Who, for some reason, only accepted seventy-five year old ponies).

With the matter settled, the six friends went to Ponyville’s local recruitment center and signed their names, while Twilight waited at the small reception room. After taking a long orientation about joining the ECDF, solving a couple of simple tests, and having their DNA samples taken, they were officially on the ECDF’s waiting list.

While there, Rainbow Dash noted that all the ponies were the same age as them, sixty-five, as the sign-up required ponies of age sixty-five only. She started to wonder why they only accept old ponies, so she asked Twilight about this, but got only got a reply that answered none of her questions.

“I’m sorry Rainbow Dash but it’s too early for me to tell you, but I promise that I’ll explain about it once you reach seventy-five. By then, you’ll be able to go through the procedure and get a proper explanation.”

So now, ten years later, Rainbow Dash sat there with great anticipation, as she couldn’t wait to finally reunite her friends and get the answer she wanted.

Having turned seventy-five earlier that year, Fluttershy, Rarity, and Pinkie had already went to the recruitment center to accept the final contract and serve their term. By now, they were probably out in space, with their life extended and training in one of the many ECDF training centers.

Meanwhile, Applejack, who just turned seventy-five two weeks ago, decided to wait for Rainbow Dash. Since they were given thirty days, after turning seventy-five, to go to the recruiting center and accept the final contract, Applejack decided that it would be a good thing for both of them if they both go together. So now, with the both of them seventy-five, and golden letter’s calling for them to make the final decision, the only thing left to do was decide when to go.

“I say we should go now.” Rainbow Dash said in an excited tone, as she held the now opened letter and looked at her friend.

“Now?” Applejack tried to clarify. “As in now, now?”

“Yeah, why not? It’s not like we have anything better to do other than rot here and wait. So why delay our plans and stay here waiting?”

Applejack stared at her for a moment, before grinning as she shook her head in amusement. “Same old Rainbow Dash... You know, I was planning on giving you a couple of days to think it over, seeing that most ponies have second thoughts on things like this, but I’m glad that you’re just as enthusiastic as me.”

“Me, having second thought? Well that’s just blasphemy. Like, do you really think I’m going to turn down an offer like this? Of course not!” She said, brushing it off. She knew that there were ponies cancelled their plan on signing-up during their seventy-fifth birthday, but Rainbow Dash wasn’t like any of those ponies.

Missing her ability to fly and race, and once more feeling her desire to go fast, the promises of the ECDF was a gift that she was glad to accept. Add up the fact that she was going to space and meet her friends, who were already up there, then she believed that this gift was equivalent to winning the lottery.

“Well it’s good to hear that your just as eager as me. So, I’m guessing that you want to leave a soon as possible, don’t cha?” Applejack asked, as Rainbow Dash nodded. “Well alrighty then, I’ll give you time to pack your stuff and do the oth-“ She was suddenly cut off by Rainbow Dash, as she waved all of that off.

“Don’t worry Applejack, I’m already way ahead of you. All the stuff I need is already packed, I just need to pick it up upstairs, while all the people here already know that I will be leaving.”

Applejack was quite surprise when she heard this. From all her years of knowing Rainbow Dash, she had never seen this mare so organized and prepared for anything in her life. She must really be committed to this, if she was working so efficiently.

“Well, I’m actually hocked to see that you’re this prepared. Like, I haven’t packed my stuff yet and I’m the one who had more time to prepare.”

Rainbow Dash gave her a small grin. “Don’t worry; we can stop by the farm to pick up your stuff before heading to the recruitment center. That way, we can give the town one last glance before saying goodbye to it forever.” Rainbow Dash said, knowing that a route from here to the Apple Farm to the recruitment office would take them to many of the memorable places they and their friend had been to.

“Well, sounds like a sweet deal to me.” Applejack said as she nodded in agreement.

“Good…” Rainbow Dash said, before looking at the cake. “…now, if you don’t mind, let start eating this cake. It would be a shame to leave a nice gift like this go to waste.

Author's Note

Well here you go everyone, have a sci-fi story based on Old Man's War. :pinkiehappy:

2

2

“You know…” Applejack said, after swallowing the donut she was eating. “…when we signed up ECDF, I expected a lot of things. But never did I expect to see us all sitting around and eating donuts.”

Sitting right beside her, Rainbow Dash only nodded as she finished another donut, living the crumbs on the plate. Looking around her, she could see that what Applejack said was no exaggeration. With couches, chairs, casual paintings, potted plants, an H.D.S., a bookshelf, and wooden tables that had plates of donuts and cups of coffee on top, the room looked more like lobby for a low cost hotel than a waiting room of the ECDF. But the two didn’t complain about the luxury, seeing that they were glad to finally relax after undergoing the ECDF’s complicated system of confirming their intention of joining the force.

When they arrived at the recruitment center, they were first questioned about they’re identity, as they tried to confirm they were who they said they were. After the iris scan, they were sent through a simple mental test before being bombarded by a pile of paper work regarding the terms they needed to agree to. Having finished all the required paper work and confirmation, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, were shuffled inside this big waiting room, as the Sky Shuttle that was assigned on picking them up was still en route.

At first, Rainbow Dash though they would be thrown inside a boring old room, with nothing to do but wait. But she was quickly proven wrong when she saw that the room was filled a large amount of devices, food, and objects that could keep them entertained during the wait.

Turning her gaze to one corner, she could see H.D.S playing an old movie about the Equestrian Marines during a fictional ‘Second Changeling Invasion’. She remembered seeing the movie before and thought that it had not plot at all as it captivated its audience by the large scale fighting scenes and explosions.

Seeing it once more, she wished that they would have showed something else. But seeing that they just signed up to a military organization, the purpose of showing it must have been to make then excited and psyched at the decision they made. Too bad it wasn’t working.

It wasn’t that she wasn’t excited at the decision she made, because she was. But trying to encourage an elderly pony’s excitement by showing a no plot action movie was not the best idea. Sure, it might have work for young ponies who can easily be excited by loud explosions and shouting, seeing that the young mind can easily be influenced by the sudden rush imagery. But for seventy-five year old ponies, whose minds weren’t attracted by simple explosions and cursing, showing a film like this was going to lead to nothing but them criticizing the inaccuracy of the movie.

To Rainbow Dash, showing a movie about space would seem more exciting than a fictional war movie. Instead of explosions, she wanted images of distant stars, galaxies, planets that ponies have colonized. To see images of space and worlds beyond the skies, that was what she wanted to see. She remembered the nights she gazed up to the stars, wondering if she would see them up close one day. She remembered her attempts to break the barrier that separated her and space, trying to fly higher and higher, only to fail.

Looking back at all her attempts, she couldn’t help but chuckle, seeing how silly they were. Unlike her young naïve self, she now knew better. She now knew that ordinary pegasi can’t just fly up and reach outer space. Wings won’t take her to the cosmos above, for only rockets could break the barrier that led to space. But rockets were expensive and not everypony could afford it. It would take years before Equestria was capable of sending ordinary ponies to space and by that time, Rainbow Dash was sixty years old. Through the Colonial Ministry’s ‘Space for Equestria Program’, Ponies, Griffons, and any sentient being was given the opportunity to go to space, with the catch of settling in the planet they were assigned to and living the rest of their lives there.

Rainbow Dash would have jumped to take that opportunity to go to space, even if it meant living the rest of her life in a distant planet. She didn’t care about the settling part, for the chance to see the world outside was a perfect trade for her.

But there was only one problem; she was too old to pass the test for eligible settlers.

The Colonial Ministry put a standard for their settlers, in which they must be fit, below the age of forty, and must have an IQ of 100 and above. These standards were created to ensure a high survival rate for its colonies, since it believed that competent and strong settlers would enhance the chances of a colony lasting. With the standard impose; Rainbow Dash’s hope of going to space was crushed once more

Of course, there was also the option of having a professional job that no young pony had, but Rainbow Dash didn’t have any professional job or ability that was rare.

For five years, she sulked at the idea that her farfetched dream would always remain out of reach. But her hopes were once again given a boost up when Twilight proposed the plan of them joining the ECDF. With the prospect of extending her life and finally being able to go to space, Rainbow Dash was one of the first to agree to the plans.

Now, as she sat inside the waiting room, she waited knowing that she would soon fulfill her dreams. She just hoped that those space ships have window seats.

She broke away from her thoughts when she noticed Applejack stand up and head towards the table to get another donut for her to eat.

“Really, Applejack, another donut?” Rainbow Dash said, as she watched her friend place another donut on her plate and take her place on her Seat. “I expect something like this from Pinkie Pie, but not from you.”

“Now, Rainbow, it would be real impolite if we let good donuts like this go to waste. So I say we eat as much donuts as we can.” Applejack said before taking a bite. “Ain’t that right, Roseluck?”

She said, beckoning the cream colored earthpony mare to support her.

Roseluck, who was sitting to the left of Rainbow Dash, removed her glasses and put down the book she was reading to look over Rainbow Dash and stare at the orange farm pony. She had been listening to half of their conversation as she read her book, and knew enough to know what they were talking about.

“I don’t know Applejack…” She said. “…I might have to side with Rainbow Dash on this one. I don’t think all those sugary donuts would be good for your blood sugar.”

“Oh come now…” Applejack exclaimed. “…think about it as a test. They say they can extend our lives, right? So if they can do that, then eating a couple of donuts won’t do any harm for me, if they can fix it later on.” With that, she took another bite on her donut and turned her attention to the H.D.S.

Rolling her eyes, Rainbow Dash gave a sigh as she looked away from her friend. Applejack was just too stubborn to follow the advice some ponies give to her.

Turning her head to face Roseluck, she noticed that she was once more reading her book.

The cream colored mare, like Rainbow Dash and Applejack, had volunteered for the ECDF, and was now waiting for the Sky Shuttle with them. Although Rainbow Dash knew that she and Roseluck shared the same birthday, she was actually shocked to see her volunteer for the ECDF. She never took her for a pony who wanted to cheat life and extend her years, since she thought that the simple earth pony wanted to spend her years in Ponyville. She always seemed happy, as if she had fulfilled everything she wanted and was just waiting for the end of the line. Roseluck just seemed to be a pony who was content with everything she did and wanted nothing more. But as she sat there with them, waiting for the Sky Shuttle, Rainbow Dash knew that she was wrong.

Almost all the ponies who joined the ECDF wanted to extend their lives because they felt that they didn’t accomplish everything they have done. They felt the urge that was calling them to do more, to do the thing they didn’t do, so that they could go out knowing that they left no stone unturned.

For Rainbow Dash, it was her dream of reaching the great void of space. She knew that she couldn’t go in peace without at least knowing that she broke the barrier of space and accomplished something that she thought she could never do.

So this made her wonder, what motivated Roseluck to sign-up?

As she pondered on those thoughts, her eyes went down to see the title of the book she was reading.

“Is that ‘The World Above Us’ you’re reading over there?” She asked, catching the attention of Roseluck, as she looked up from her book and turned her gaze to Rainbow Dash.

“Yeah…” She said, nodding. “…it’s a good read. I remember reading this before and when I saw it on the shelf I decided to read once more. Have you read it before?”

“Of course I have!” She exclaimed with a smile, remembering the book all too well. “Aside from the Daring Do books, any book about space were the ones I usually spent hours reading. That one over there is one of my favorites, with those stories of exploration and that chapter with the first contact situation. Don’t even get me started about the descriptions of the far out systems, because they managed to thrill me with the idea of space travel. It just felt so real and exciting.” She said with a gleeful smile. Reminiscing on that book lit up her interest of space, as she remembered her dream of touching the stars.

“A space fan I see…” Roseluck said, smiling as she found Rainbow Dash’s enthusiasm very amusing. “…well, I got to admit, I myself am a great fan of space. In fact I was so much of a space fan that when I was young, I used to stay awake and use the telescope I borrowed to see the distant planets and galaxies. It was an expensive telescope and I was lucky to be able to buy it with the income I got from selling flowers. Well, at least it was well worth it, because I got to see the beauty of the world above us… Too bad it was limited to seeing back then…”

“Yeah, I know the feeling…” Rainbow Dash said, agreeing. “…I remember flying up to the skies, high as I can, trying to reach for the dark void of space, only to fail. Now that I think about it, I must have looked silly. Just imagine it, a pegasus flying above the clouds, raising her hooves to try and reach for the stars.”

Roseluck giggled and nodded. “Well, I guess you’re quite happy to know that you’re about to fulfill your goal of going to space.”

“Yup.” She said, knowing that once the Sky Shuttle arrives, they would be taken to the Space Elevator, near Canterlot, which would lift them up
through the atmosphere towards its top, the Space Hub, a place where all space vessels dock to load or unload their cargo, as well as refuel
for their next mission. Most ponies in the hub were colonists, who were sent off to distant planets, but there were also ECDF recruits who went there, waiting for their transport ships to take them to their training places in who knows where.

“Well, you too would be able to fulfill your goal, seeing that once we’re in space, we would be able to see the beauty of the stars up close.” Rainbow Dash informed her.

“Hopefully not too close, last time I checked stars could burn when you get to close.” Roseluck joked.

“Ha, ha, ha…” Rainbow Dash faked laugh. “…very funny.”

She gave a small smile before returning her attention to her book, hoping to read a little more before their ride arrives, which wasn’t much time at all. For after a couple of minutes, the Sky Shutte arrived and the ECDF representative shuffled them out of the room to the awaiting
Sky Shuttle, which was almost filled with old mares and colts from other recruitment centers.

“Next stop, the Space Elevator.” The Sky Shuttle’s pilot said, mimicking a train conductor.

With that, the Sky Shuttle’s anti-gravity generators hummed as it lifted off from the ground and went up to the skies.

The large flat circular lift of the Space Elevator went up, taking everpony on board to a six hour trip to the top. For the ponies, Griffons, Donkeys, and other creatures who rode inside it, they were met with an amazing view, as more of the surrounding lands were revealed as they rose. From there, one would be able to see a large portion of Equestria, looking past the horizon as they went higher and higher.

Inside the elevator’s circular platform, was a large assortment of ECDF recruits, colonist, and tourist, who wanted to go sightseeing. With the great view that the Space Elevator provided, many tourist visited it to marvel at the land below them as they went up to space. Since Space Travel was limited to officials, recruits, and colonist of the Colonial Ministry, the space elevator served as the closest thing to visiting to space for tourist who wanted to see space. Ever since it was built, the Space Elevator had served the Colonial Ministry as a lift for personnel, as well as a great tourist attraction to help it gain extra bits.

Tourist from all over Equestria took pictures of what was below them, enjoying their time as they waited for it to reach the top, before heading straight down. They took pictures and mental images of the view to remember this moment, knowing that they might not do it again, due to the expensive fee.

But for Rainbow Dash and Roseluck, and many other ponies inside the gigantic elevator, they looked down to the world below them and kept the last images in their minds, knowing that they would never see their homeland again.

Their contact with the ECDF stated that once they left Equestria Prime, they would never return to it. The reason being was, once they finish their tour with the ECDF, they would be given a plot of land in a foreign planet and lived there as a colonist. It was a part of the Colonial Ministy’s program of colonizing as many planets as they could, so that pony kind could spread to the stars. In their view, soldiers who have finished their tour would make ideal colonist and would contribute a lot of knowledge to their community. It was also their way of saying ‘thank you’ to the mares and colts who served to protect, by giving them a piece of land.

One would think that they might be able to return to Equestria Prime on leave during their tour, but this was also impossible. For space going ECDF personnel were prohibited from touching Equestria Prime’s surface, in fear of spreading some kind of space disease to the population below.

Personally, Rainbow Dash believed that the true reason for this was because the ECDF didn’t want anypony revealing their secrets of life extension, but that was just her theory.

“Look at that, I think that’s Ponyville right over there.” Roseluck said, pointing at the direction of the town that was quickly becoming a speck.

Thanks to the strong transparent material that composed the entire platform, the passengers of the Space Elevator were given a wonderful view of anything that was below, sideways, and above them. Made from the strongest transparent crystals the Crystal Empire has to offer, the platform had the capability of withstanding the pressures the change off atmosphere had to give, while ensuring everypony that they would have a magnificent view of the outside world.

This meant both Rainbow Dash, Roseluck, and everypony onboard can marvel at the beaut they were given.

The two had spent most of their time hear, looking at the view and enjoying the last close up glimpse of Equestria as much as they can. They had offered Applejack the same deal, but the old earth pony politely excused herself, saying that she was going to take a nap on one of the soft chairs of the Space Elevator. She had been exhausted by the waiting at the base of the Space Elevator and was relieved to learn that there were areas where she can rest and close her eyes.

Squinting her eyes and looking through the crystals, Rainbow Dash glanced towards the speck and tried to make out the dot she was looking at. “Are you sure that’s Ponyville? Because it looks like nothing more than a blob to me.”

“Of course I’m sure and I can prove it too.” She said, before pointing her hood to another speck, but this time much larger and easily interpretable. “You see that, that’s the Orbital Defense Laser, which is located next to Ponyville. Seeing that there is only one Orbital Defense Laser in Equestria, then that speck over there must be Ponyville.”

Turning her gaze towards the second area Roseluck was pointing at, Rainbow Dash was surprise to see that she was right. From their height, she could see the two mile wide circular complex of the Orbital Defense Laser, as well as the gigantic disc that was used to concentrate the lasers into one central point.

But her surprise soon turned into confusion knowing that the Program that was initialized to create the Orbital Defense Laser was cancelled many years ago. The only reason she recognized it was because Twilight used to show them the blueprints she helped designed to create it.

“Hey, Roseluck…” Rainbow Dash said. “…wasn’t the Orbital Defense Laser cancelled a long time ago? If I remember correctly, it was so that the funds could be transferred for some kind of ECDF vessel or something.”

“Yeah…” Roseluck said, nodding. “…it was cancelled six years ago. But before it was cancelled, the construction team had already finished the main structure. Right now, what we’re seeing over there is an empty sight. Sure, it looks formidable, but the lasers that give it its deadly kicked were never installed.”

“So that gigantic structure has been sitting right there for at least six years, doing nothing?” Rainbow Dash exclaimed. “Well, talk about a waste of everything. A big eyesore too, if you ask me.”

“Yeah...it is. But it’s not like it would be able to fulfill its duty anyways, seeing that the ECDF is doing such a good job protecting Equestria Prime from any external threat.”

“How do you know that?” Rainbow Dash questioned. “Did you hack to their systems or something?”
Roseluck just rolled her eyes and shook her head. “Rainbow Dash, it doesn’t take a genius to realize that the ECDF is doing a good job.

Because if they weren’t, then all of Equestria Prime would have been overrun by aliens by now.”

Rainbow Dash thought about it for a moment before giving a sheepish grin. “Well…I guess you’re right.”

Roseluck smiled once more before turning her head towards the soft chairs and couches, where Applejack was peacefully sleeping. “Now come on, we still got hours before this thing reaches its destination, so we might as well rest up. We don’t want to fall asleep while up there, do we?” She said, moving away and beckoning her.

“No we don’t.” Rainbow Dash said. Although she had no idea how she would be able to sleep with all this excitement building up inside her.

3

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?

4

4

Staring at the alicon in front of her, Rainbow Dash couldn’t believe that Twilight didn’t look a day older than she did when she was turned into an alicorn. Despite having grown slightly taller, Twilight was still the same looking egghead that Rainbow Dash first met in Ponyville. Her high and important position as leader of the Colonial Ministry was said to have been a stressful and challenging job, but even with all of that, she still managed to look presentable and majestic, with her smooth coat and silky mane. This thought always amused Rainbow Dash, as she knew that Twilight wasn’t always a pony who can compose herself while under stress. Years of experience must have had helped her learn done a lot to change that.

Looking towards the alicorn, she couldn’t help but put a huge smile on her face, feeling great happiness in her to finally see Twilight again. It had been years since she had last seen Twilight and she fought the urge to jump up, trot towards her and give the purple alicorn a hug.

Luckily for her, and Twilight, her will and self-control was still strong, stopping her from creating a big embarrassment of herself and creating a very awkward situation for them all. Instead, she just sat there, looking towards the alicorn, who was not making her way up the stage in front of them.

As Twilight trotted up the stage’s steps, Rainbow Dash noticed the VIPAD set that he friend was wearing. But unlike the plane and flimsy plastic ones they were wearing, Twilight’s VIPAD looked more robust and sharp, with its own personalize color, a shared a purple which matched her own coat. With all its looks, Twilight’s VIPAD looked more formidable than theirs and for a moment, her theory of all the VIPADs being connected to Twilight’s brain seemed plausible.

Standing on top of the stage a giving small friendly grin to everypony in front of her, Twilight cleared her throat as she began addressing the ponies inside the room.

“Mare and Gentlecolts…” She began in her usual calm speaking tone. The sound of her amplified voice was echoed throughout by the room, as the microphone on her VIPAD caught her voice and directed them towards the speakers that littered the room. “…I am here to welcome you to the Colonial Ministry and congratulate you for signing for the ECDF. I don’t usually greet the new recruit personally, as I’m sometimes busy with the different affairs the keeps the Ministry running, but once in a while I take a ride on the transport ships and meet up with the brave ponies who chose to go in this crusade for Equestria.”

There was a slight pause before Twilight continued.

“It’s been a while since I last spoke in front of a crowd, so please forgive me if I look nervous. Anyways…” She said, as she fiddled with her VIPAD to cue up a list that was displayed in front of her, as well as displaying the same list to everypony who wore a VIPAD. “…if you check your personal VIPAD, you would see that there is a list of activities that you would undertake throughout your stay in this ship. These activates is a warm up process that you would have to take before going through the main event you all signed up for. Keep in mind that each schedule is different, so I suggest that you check your list. For now, there are no activities scheduled for you, as this time is given for you to adjust and relax. So you are all free to roam around the ship, just as long as you don’t disturb the crew or cause a ruckus that would endanger us all.”
“Now, the Wagon would be leaving Equestria Prime’s orbit in an hour or so. We’ll be showcasing the deorbit in the ship’s auditorium. So, if you want to watch, feel free to ask your VIPAD for their directions and take a seat. If you do come, you’ll be able to see your last glimpse of Equestria Prime as well as the Space Hub before the ship deorbits and slips into light speed. With high definition cameras mounted on the ship’s hall, it would be as if you were looking at it with your own eyes. It will be worth your time, trust me.”

“Again, I would like to thank you all for signing up and taking your part in furthering Equestria’s progress with space.” With that, Twilight gave a small bow and walked off the stage, heading towards the exit.

Both Rainbow Dash and Applejack wanted to get up and talk to her, but with their frail and old bodies, standing up from their seats proved to be a harder task than they thought. Despite having been exercised by the earlier trot across the Space Hub, their muscles and bones were still too stiff for them to change from sitting position to standing position. By the time they managed to get up from their chairs, Twilight was already out of the room.

“Shoot!” Applejack exclaimed. “I guess we missed her.” Like a disappointed fan who didn’t get the autograph of her idol, she looked down and pouted in disappointment.

“Oh, don’t worry, Applejack.” Rainbow Dash said, equally disappointed. “I’m sure we’ll be able to catch up with her later. Besides, it’s not like Twilight would forget her best friends. Like she said, she doesn’t usually greet recruits, so she must only be here because she knows we’re here.”

“I guess you’re right…” Applejack grumbled, still down at the fact that they weren’t able to talk to her.

“Ohh…don’t let a little disappointment sour your mood, Applejack.” Roseluck said, offering her glass of juice to the orange mare.

“Here, have a glass of orange juice. I bet it will surely lighten your mood.” She said, a devious smile plastered on her face.

Changing her expression and glaring at Roseluck, Applejack shook her head as she returned to her argument on why she shouldn’t be drinking orange juice. “Now, Roseluck, what did I tell you about drinking that dirty orange juice!”

Rolling her eyes and gently slamming her head on top of the table, Rainbow Dash shielded her ears with her hooves and groaned.

“Good job, Roseluck…” She said. “…you may have lightened her mood, but now it’s turned into an inferno…”

“Are you sure we’re allowed to be here?” Rainbow Dash asked, following Roseluck as they slowly trotted through the narrowing empty halls near the rear of the ship.

Despite the fact that most of the ship has been converted to accommodate the seventy-five year old recruits, there were still areas in the ship that still bore the cold and plain look that it used to have. Areas like the hall they were currently in, which, unlike the carpeted halls near the center of the ship, were plain metal and dimly lit.

This was probably because nopony expected any of the recruits to wonder this far, as they would have been easily discourage by the ominous dark look of the empty halls, which made Rainbow Dash wonder why in the name of Celestia did Roseluck decide to bring her hear.

“Of course we’re allowed to go hear.” Roseluck said, defending her decision. “My VIPAD isn’t saying that this is restricted area and last time I checked, we aren’t doing anything that is endangering the safety of everypony on board.”

“Well…that is true…” Rainbow Dash said, giving a small nod. “…but where are we even going to? The ship is about to leave orbit and I’m pretty sure we’re missing out on something.”

Roseluck decided to go on her little adventure a couple of moments before the group decided to head towards to go to the auditorium. She had also invited Applejack and Night Glider to come along, but Applejack politely declined herself while Night Glider decided to keep her company. Rainbow Dash herself didn’t actually want to go, as she wanted to watch the ship leaving orbit. But with Roseluck constant advertising, saying that the short trip would be worth it, wherever they may be going, Rainbow Dash soon gave in.

So she found herself near the rear of the ship, navigating through its cold halls, trying to find the place that Roseluck had promised her.

From all the trotting they did, Rainbow Dash realized just how truly big the ship. Sure, the Wagon looked big when one looked at it from a distance. But once you trot through nearly half of its entire length, you would begin to realize how massive it truly was. Hopefully, the place Roseluck was taking her would be worth both the trot and the fact that she was going to miss the video feed of the ship leaving orbit.

“Aha! There it is.” Roseluck exclaimed, gesturing towards the closed metal door at the far end of the hallway. Reaching it, Roseluk tapped the button that opened the door and murmured her pleads for it to open.

Luckily for her, the door was not locked, and it soon slid open, revealing a large room that was as dimly lit as the hallways. But the lighting was not a huge problem, as the main feature of the room was greatly enhanced by the fact that there was not much light that could intrude.

The room was a fairly sized one, enough to house a dozen ponies with enough room to make everpony inside comfortable. But as the two entered it, Rainbow Dash’s attention immediately turned towards the three walls and the ceiling. Mouth gapping open, she slowly trotted towards the center as she looked at it with eyes wide in amazement.

With three of its walls and ceiling made out of the same crystal like material that was used for the Space Elevator’s windows, the room provided a great view of the Space Hub and the planet below them. With the addition of the dim lights, the atmosphere in the room felt like that it blended with the surrounding space outside. Trotting closer towards the windows, Rainbow Dash felt as if she were out there, as she imagined that she could slowly float and touch the Station outside.

Just like her dreams to be able to fly past the atmosphere and touch space, she found herself face to face with the space above the planet. Despite knowing that she had already been in space for a while, the fact that she was in a crystal room that made it look like she was floating in space just sealed the deal. Right now, she felt like a dream come true.

“What is this room?” Rainbow Dash asked, spinning around and trying her best not to make herself dizzy. There was just so much to see around her and she wanted to make the most of it while in there.

“It’s the officer’s lounge room…” She said, joining her. “…or at least that was what it used to be. You see, I asked my VIPAD if there was any place in the ship where I could get a good view of space. So it directed me over here, the officer’s lounge room.” Looking around the room and scanning the space outside, a smile formed on her face. “Isn’t lovely place? A perfect area to be in while watching the ship leave the planet’s orbit.”

“Yeah, it’s amazing!” Rainbow Dash said, staying still and taking a sit in the center of the room. Looking at the scene in front of her, she knew that it was truly a majestic sight, one that she had been striving to see for a long time.

No picture or memory of looking up the stars from the ground could compare to the sight they were seeing right now. This are of the ship was just like an observatory in space and Rainbow Dash was glad the Roseluck found it.

She knew had to thank Roseluck for convincing her to go here, because the view was truly marvelous. “I can’t believe they didn’t tell us about this place. You would think that they would have made this area more available.”

“Yeah…” Roseluck said, sitting next to Rainbow Dash. “…but then again, this room is a small one. I don’t think it would be ideal to have a hundred ponies pilling up in a room that could fit a dozen.”

“Hmm…” Rainbow Dash said, thinking about it. “….I guess you’re right.”

Turning her gaze towards the ceiling window, she could see the vast wall of stars that created the great masterpiece known as space. Its stars shining brightly, each one either explored or was just waiting to be explored by pony kind. Despite them being distant, it felt like they were quite closer than they had ever been before.

“It’s a beautiful sight, isn’t it? I don’t know why, but without an atmosphere between us and the stars, the sight is just overwhelming and magnificent.”

“Well, you two better take in as much as you can, because once the ship hits light speed, those stars would look nothing more than noodles.” A familiar voice called from behind them, as the sound of hoofsteps emitted from the hall. “Normally we would have used the jump engines,
but seeing that we would need all the extra power we can get, the FTL engines would just have to suffice.”

Ears perking up from the voice, Rainbow Dash slowly turned her head to see the young and joyful face of Twilight, who was standing by the door, with Applejack and Night Glider right behind them.

A grin formed on her face, as she looked at Twilight who had an equal happy and friendly smile on hers.

Standing up as quickly as she can, she managed to fight off the pains of stiff muscles and make her way to her friend, their eyes locking for the first time in a long time. Having been years since they had last talked with each other, the two ponies felt joy in their hearts as they went up to meet each other.

Despite being slightly taller than her, Rainbow Dash was still able to pull the alicorn into a warm hug, as she expressed how much she missed her friend through the embrace.

“I’m glad to see you too, Rainbow Dash.” Twilight said, returning the hug and trying her best not to crush her fragile friend.

After a minute of the two enjoying the warm embrace of each other’s friendship, the two soon broke off, as the other gathered inside the room, taking a seat near the center. Not bothering to turn on the lights, the sat there and enjoyed the view of the planet and the Space Hub on the side windows, while the stars shown above the ceiling.

“So, Twi, how did you know we were here?” Rainbow Dash asked curiously.

“Well it was quite easy. Locating your VIPAD through the system is as simple as one, two, three.” She explained. “Funny thing is that I was planning to bring you all here once I found you, so I’m kind of glad that you two strayed off towards here instead off some far off place of the ship.”

“Well, talk about coincidence.” Roseluck remarked.

“Yeah, you two have knack for finding good places for sightseeing, because this is actually the best seat in the house to watch the ship leave the orbit. This area isn’t actually restricted, but the door to this room is supposed to be locked, so that nopony could enter. But when I saw the trackers on your VIPAD’s were heading towards here, I decided to unlock them through my own VIPAD, so that you two could get comfortable and wait here, instead of wondering off again.”

“Oh, and here I thought it was my constant pleading that caused the door to open.” Roseluck said.

As the five sat there, talking to each other and waiting, a loud groaning sound echoed through the ship’s walls, as a gentle rocking movement went through the ship. This sudden sound and movement brought a look of concern to the four old ponies.

“Don’t worry…” Twilight reassured them. “…that’s just the sound of the fuel pipes decupling from the ship. It means that we’re about to start the first phase of leaving the planet’s orbit.”

Soon, a slow flying shuttle flew in front of the room’s windows, orbiting the ship as close as it can. It flew around the rear of the ship, checking it outer hull and engines, trying to make sure that everything was in place and alright. After conducting a second pass, the small shuttle buzzed off, heading towards other duties that needed to be conducted.

After a couple more minutes and silence, a great shaking force took over the entire ship, as the Wagon’s gigantic and powerful thrusters pushed the ship forward. Slowly, the Space Hub began to move farther and farther away from them, as the Wagon propelled itself from the planet’s gravitational pull, trying to create a vector that would slingshot it away from the planet.

Gaining momentum from the powerful force created by the engines, the ships moved away from the Space Hub, till the station was nothing more than a dot in the distance. The five could still see the planet beside them as they orbited, but Twilight knew that it would soon be gone once they achieved proper velocity.

Watching the ship soar above the planet, Rainbow Dash couldn’t help but be amazed at the technological capabilities ponies have these days. With all of this technology at their hooves, it was hard to imagine that Equestria was once a place where touching space was nothing but a dream.

The gigantic leap taken during the Technological Boom really helped them, as well as the efforts made by Twilight. She had done a lot to change life in Equestria and bring them as a great power. Bring them to an age of greatness.

When she was younger, things like these were only in her dreams, but now it was possible. It was possible to go out to space and reach the stars. It was possible to live life with great ease, as hard labor was conducted by machines. It was possible to be old, yet become young again, thanks to a technology that was yet to be revealed to them.

“Hey, Twi.” Rainbow Dash said, gently nudging the alicron.

“Hmm…what is it, Rainbow Dash?” Twilight asked, looking away from the window and turning her gaze down towards the aging pegasus.

“Remember all those years ago, at the recruitment center?” She asked. It took a moment for Twilight to think about it, but she soon nodded.

“Well, you still owe me an explanation.”

A small smile formed at Twilight’s face, like a patient mother looking down at their curious foal.

“Don’t worry, Rainbow Dash, it will be reviled soon. You just have to wait till tomorrow.”