0 - Pancakes and Premonitions
Author's Note
For reference, I have not seen season 6 or 7, and this fic will be begin in the third summer sun celebration which would have happened a month after the "mane attraction" episode, when Starlight Glimmer is still plotting and has yet to do the timey whimey episode.
0 - Pancakes and Premonitions
Twilight had been working quite a bit the last few months. With her new role as Princess of Friendship, she had many duties, including solving or remedying the friendship problems that happened so very often in ponyville and beyond. Her own friends helped on occasion; when the map called them in, but other then those rare times, she was left to resolve the friendship problems herself. Whether it was an arguing couple, a bully and his victims, or somepony who needed a hug. Her plate was stacked with problems ponies looked to her to solve.
But right now the only problem on her plate was an octuple stack of blueberry chocolate chip pancakes smothered in berry berry jam arranged in a perfect symmetrical order. A problem a swift shove into her muzzle could fix. To bad she had company, and was forced to restrain herself. If the princess saw her acting like an animal that would make for an upset.
The room was a wide, brightly lit dining area made entirely of crystal. The only bit of decorations and furniture was the long crystalline table affixed with five chairs of identical material and cut on each side, and another two at either head. Along the ceiling where silk banners embroidered with Twilight's starburst cutie mark, spaced to intersect with the dining chairs. Perfectly symmetrical in every way.
At the head of the table sat twilight, slowly picking piece by piece of the delectable confection she was confronted with. To her left was Rarity, who appallingly gawked at the uncouth manner that Rainbow Dash was attacking her stack of pancakes. Rainbow had abandon her manners along with Pinkie Pie in an all out race to shove as much of the pancakes down their throats as they could, Pinkie being the clear winner. Next to the bubblegum mare was Apple Jack who enthusiastically ate her stack with a near identical vigor, gaining much ground on Rainbows second place lead. After her was Fluttershy, who delicately nibbled on her buttery flap jack.
On the tail end of the buffet was the regal princess Celestia, choosing to observe the ponies partake in their meals while poking mindlessly at her stack of sugar crepes. Beside her was the enchanting Princess Luna, waiting patiently as she pours a sticky molasses style red raspberry syrup onto her chocolate nut waffles. In the two seats beside Luna are twilight's parents, both enjoying their own individual plates. Closest on the right of Twilight were both Shining Armor, who sat at Twilight's right, and Cadence right next to him. Cadence sat nuzzling Shining's neck without a plate, claiming to have eaten earlier when her baby was hungry. Shining on the otherhoof, ate spoonfuls of oatmeal with raisins, a meal he had become fond of during his time in the royal guard.
"So twilight" Spoke Celestia, "How are you adjusting to your new role as princess of friendship?"
Twilight broke her predatory stare down of the pancakes atop her plate to glance down the table at celestia, her question going over her head. "OH! I'm sorry, what did you ask again?"
Celestia blankly stared at twilight before smiling, she chuckled and continued, "I asked how you are adjusting my faithful student."
"Adjusting? I'm adjusting fine. Though cold floors are still a little hard to get used to, and being the princess of friendship isn't what I thought it would be but it is manageable."
"oh?" Celestia enquired.
"It's not that I don't mind the responsibility, and helping ponies with problems in there lives gives me purpose, but I am just disappointed that I am not able to spend more time with my friends like I used to. Plus it doesn't seem very logical to have me learn the power of friendship just to end up never spending quality time with the friends that helped me learn it." Twilight said sinking back into her chair while poking at her suddenly not so appetizing meal.
Rarity removed her fork from her mouth, patted it clean with her cloth, and placed the fork onto the cloth before turning in response to twilight's statement. "But Darling, we are consistently leaving on expeditions with you to all kinds of places across Equestria. In all those moments we shared days with you. wouldn't you consider that quality time?"
Twilight blanked, "Well, yes I did enjoy those trips but-"
Applejack swallowed the rather hefty piece of pancake and added into the conversation. "Also ya can't forget 'ta times me and 'ta girls come over to check up on you between yer hours studyin' an workin' with 'ta ponies that come through yer doors."
"Well also yes, but what I am trying to say is-"
"There is also the times I invite you to tea with my animal friends, and I don't remember you missing any of those." Fluttershy quietly said between bites of her flapjacks.
"Ya," Interjected Rainbow, "I thought you liked all the times I crashed your little pep talks with the locals. You cant tell me you weren't chuckling when I pranked that stallion super hard! HA HA!"
"Rainbow!?" yelled Rarity, "Please tell me it wasn't you who scared poor Caramel!"
"ah.." Dash nervously scratched the back of her head, "It wasn't me?"
"DID SOMEONE SAY PRANKS?!" yelled pinkie pie who ended her question with a blast of confetti from her party cannon.
"No pinks, we aint talkin about pranks. Well, we are, but now aint the time for any of it." Said applejack with a stare.
"Aw... but I just finished breakfast..." Said the defeated Pinkie whos plate now sat licked clean in front of her.
"WHATTHE HOOF!?" yelled both Applejack and Rainbow, completely at awe how she could have finished it all off while she was talking. Rainbow hovered to the chair pinkie was in. "No way you ate all those pancakes! Where are you stashing them pinkie!"
Pinkie just looked confused, "What do you mean stash them? Didn't you see them get taken away by the stagehoof?"
Dumbfound, dash floated around Pinkie, unsure of how to respond to that question.
On the other side of the table, Velvet chuckled heartily, "My my, Twilight, your friends are quite interesting! They remind me of some characters in a novel I'm writing-"
"Velvet, you know our policy on revealing details about up and coming novels." Interrupted Night, poking his wife in the side to remind her of their policies.
"Right you are night, I love it when you keep me on target." She said scooting closer to the stallion in question.
Cadence turned to twilight, "It seems like you get visited every day by your friends Twi, why would you think you aren't seeing them enough?"
Twilight tapped her chin in thought. "Well ya. I get visited all the time by my friends, its just, I don't know, I feel like we are not spending enough time together. I feel like, for some reason, time is not on my side right now."
Celestia's eye twitches, and she gives a curious glance to Luna. Luna continues to watch the red ambrosia slowly drip from its container, and to the untrained eye it would seem she missed that comment. Her ears however are at attention.
Celestia clears her throat, "Excuse me Twilight, but would you mind speaking to me in private?"
The table goes silent as they look between Celestia and Twilight. Twilight nervously looks at the ponies at the table. "Um, yes I can speak if you need me to. We have a lounge room close by. Would you like me to have somepony bring some tea?"
"No need my faithful student, I only need to speak to you in the hall for a moment," Celestia stands up from her seat and begins trotting just outside the dinning room. "Pardon me my ponies, I will return in soon."
Twilight looks to her friends and family, unsure of what she might have said to bring this reaction. The other ponies look at her also with equal confusion. Twilight swallows, "I will be back everypony, dont let the good food go to waste though!"
Twilight canters out of the room to catch up with Celestia. Celestia sits by a window looking out to the town below and addresses Twilight. "Twilight, you said you felt uneasy?"
"Yes I did princess, but I didn't think it was all that important." Twilight says as she comes up beside the princess of day, sitting next to her.
"When did you start feeling this way?"
The purple alicorn scrunches her nose, "I think I started feeling this way around noon today. Why? What is so important about this?"
Celestia sits in thought for a minute, contemplating Twilights response. Twilight watched her silence, becoming more concerned as the moments pass. Then Celestia stands and begins heading back to the dining room. "It's nothing my faithful student. Come, we need to finish dinner."
Twilight stands again, "Then why princess did you find it concerning? it seems a bit much for nothing."
"It was a hunch both me and luna had some days ago. But it is nothing now that I know we are feeling different things."
"Oh thats good I gue- wait. You and luna felt something?"
"Oh yes, I forgot to mention. We will be having some shooting stars during the summer sun celebration. You might want to prepare accordingly."
With that the regal princess left the young princess of friendship with questions unanswered and preparations to make.
Log #1 : Star Date 2300 : SGT. Matthew
In the hours finest, and day so bright our fellow man take flight. Oh what a sight. To higher heights and places uknown, we leave are flourished home. To stars and men. To a certain end.
For readers who find this some day among the wrecked remains of the SS Hemingway, know that I will now and forever be a poet. Whether on the battlefield, or a box; my words bleed insight into the minds of men and actions there of. For one must ascend to lofty claims and titles if they are to consider the muck worth walking through. Lets hope this gander into the emptiness of space leads not to a sour end, but to a splendorous bookend.
Log End
Log #32 : Star Date 2303 : SGT. Matthew
A porcupine skin,
Stiff with bad tanning,
It must have ended somewhere.
Stuffed horned owl
Pompous
Yellow eyed;
Chuck-wills-widow on a biased twig
Sooted with dust.
Piles of old magazines,
Drawers of boy's letters
And the line of love
They must have ended somewhere.
Yesterday's Tribune is gone
Along with youth
And the canoe that went to pieces on the beach
The year of the big storm
When the hotel burned down
At Seney, Michigan.
Felt it appropriate to pay tribute to the man who's name I now sail the void. Unlike his work, I hope this vessel does not encounter as many burned down hotels. For that matter I would prefer to stay our hands out of fate and into our own.
In other news. I have finally been integrated into a division. Hence forth you are reading the words of not only a poet but a future commanding officer of varying ranks. Lets hope defense systems has less lesser kin then the engine control. Who am I kidding, this is going to be an intellectual nightmare. At least I will be calling the shots soon enough. Looking forward to that.
Log End
Log #50 : Star Date 2305 : Lt. Matthew
In sleep,
wondrous reprieve,
will I find peace?
will I find belief?
I dare not wonder,
for in such sunder,
one could lose sense.
If one were to wake,
they'd see as I do.
If one were to think,
they'd know as I do,
that in restful sleep,
death is in similar suspense.
It is my unofficial birthday today. I have finally clawed myself to a semblance of leadership. I am glad someone from above recognizes my potential. Ironic that I will be losing the majority of civilizations years to immobile stasis. Today is the day we bed down for the long nap.
For the lesser voyaged, what this means is we have left the heliopause, or the outer most layer of Sol's influence. There is nothing left between us and our destination now. it is still unpleasant to know that next we wake it will be 2569. Two hundred and sixty four years we will be in cryo... Earth will most likely forget we ever existed by the time we get there. So, in the event the ship goes down a poetic end fitting of the great Hemingway, I have been given clearance to send back all previous logs for archiving. One day, far before I can appreciate it, I will be celebrated as one of the greats. At least, that is the hope. It is the last hope I surely will ever feel.
So many words still left to write. So many things still yearning for sight. I am still yet young, and still held by wits, how sad I must release them to undiscovered shores. To let my mind rest undisturbed for centuries yet to come. It is as death has come for a while, to whisk me away from blue sky, not to die, but to live as another for untold scores. How sad, but also happy it is. To know my time here among men is short, but my time itself is still in court. So I gladly take death's hand, he cannot take what is yet not his. So at last, I must say my final farewell. To my readers. To family and friends. As sad as it is, know one thing is true. I did not go quietly into that goodnight, and neither will you. Farewell.
Log End
Log #51 : Star Date 2569 : Lt. Matthew
Joy.
Joy unbound.
What love we found.
What wonders around.
Joy astound.
Joy.
Well fine readers, we made it. I just woke from the long sleep with everything in the wrong ways. They don't tell you how stiff your joints get after being on ice for 260 years. Pretty sure no man in history thus far has traveled to another star system, so the lack of forethought on ones joints is remissible. Though it does leave us with whats ahead.
Space... A place for all intelligent life to ponder their place in the universe. Are we alone? Are we all that there is? questions like these have plagued man since we looked to the heavens and made shapes out of the stars. Now, in this age of innovation, these questions may find answers. But one question persist, are we ok with finding out? can we handle the realization we are not uniquely gifted with insight and ingenuity?
"Whatcha write'n?"
I pause from my log entry to see the every annoying and persistent goofy grin of my cabin mate, the gap in her front teeth seemingly widening every second.
"Oh nothing, just pondering the ever questionable decisions of greedy ambitious narcissists and philanthropists alike." I say dismissively, as if the question was obvious.
".... ah..." she says, sitting back down on her bunk, still unsure of my answer.
I leave her in that state of frustration at not getting a straight answer when a voice calls from above me.
"Dont give Matthew too much worry rookie, It'll feed his ego. HA"
"Ya, hes got a real hard on for himself, thinks he is better then the rest of us. Whats that word he used? Narcissist? Hit it on the nail, ay Matthew?"
"Its 'Hit it on the head'. Moron." I grit my teeth. Leave it to Jessie and James to turn my fun to a statement on my personality. "And I am better then you"
"Ya ya, Mr. Lieutenant, I bet you are."
I huff in frustration. The nerve of these sergeants I tell you. Been with me for all of three years and think they can walk all over me. I clench my teeth and begin writing a discipline report on both their behalf's. Lets see how 'pompous' they feel after they have a triple order for training duty. Bet they will be tasting sand for months afterword.
"Um. Sorry if I got on your bad side. I'm new here and-"
"Let me guess, you just wanted to make introductions to your new commanding officer but found I did not respond to your first greetings and wanted to ask what I was preoccupied with. Am I correct?"
"... exactly right sir..."
I pinch the bridge of my nose and set down my tablet. She may be new, but at least she tried to make a good first impression.
"Apologies about before. My name is lieutenant Matthew Wheeler, I am your new commanding officer, miss?"
"I am Private Rosa Woods, LT Matthew. I am at your service." The PVT declares, standing at attention with a sharp salute.
My eye twitches. I know I heard her right, but I am baffled at what I had heard all the same.
"You said you were a private correct?"
"Yes sir. Is that a problem?"
"Oh no, here we go."
"Yes actually. You see this division is for trained personnel, and it is required to have at least two years prior service in the armada before you can be assigned here. How and Who assigned you?"
"I was assigned by-"
ATTENTION! BREACH DETECTED ON THE COMMAND DECK!
"What the-"
BRRREEECHACK
the whole ship jolts to the side, knocking books off my shelf and causing the rookie to fall back into her bunk.
"Fuck!" Yelled Jessie as she gets knocked off of her top bunk.
I quickly get to my feat as PVT Rose follows and helps SGT Jessie back to her feat. I rush out of our bunk room into the barracks commons scanning for the cause of the noise and spot it almost instantly. There is a large crack in the center of the commons stretching from one side of the ship to the other. My first thought is 'Aint this poetic' but my sarcastic brain is shut up when the sirens blare again.
ATTENTION! CASCADING FRACTURE DETECTED IN BARRACKS 13! EMERGENCY PROTOCOLS HAVE BEEN ACTIVATED!
I quickly recall the procedures and conditions digest that was given to each crew member before they boarded the ship. It is likely that most did not read the manual, it being well over 500 pages with complex verbiage, but being a reader and writer myself, I know what is going to be said before the captain spoke over the intercom.
"CREW AND CIVILIANS ARE TO ABANDON SHIP, I REPEAT-"
I am already rushing for the left hanger. I glance about me and see everyone and their mothers running in a panic. It is the right response. After all, they are all going to die. I however have plans on dying at some extra planetary beach sipping a martini and writing my novel. So I will not die today.
Behind me I notice that my crew is also following me, though I can see the panic in their eyes. Even with every instinct they have telling them they should get right with their gods, they know I am one of the few people here who wont so easily be ended by the hands of fate. Except for the poor PVT. She has no idea of why she is being dragged along by both Jessie and James.
"Are we heading for one of the pods in the hanger?" Stupidly asks James.
"Pretty sure that is where the LT. is going." Says Jessie.
Maybe I should write down my every thought for them, that way they can narrate my life for me while I watch them dance like monkeys.
"We are, and we must hurry. One such as us will not be solely able to remember we have escape pods." I say, keeping my pace fast and consistent. We round a corner to a set of stairs that lead to the hanger. All of us have to jump over some debris that fell when the crack first formed. Passing the area I notice that the wall seems to have shifted, meaning that the other side of this crack must be starting to leak. This is not good.
"I think he means others will try and get there before us." Says monkey Jessie.
"That would make sense" Says monkey James.
"Wait, we have escape pods in the hanger? Why don't we take a Raider or something?" Curiously the obvious is not stated by the monkeys but instead by the newbie. curious, why would she suggest something the monkeys are liable to say?
"What? Why? It is standard protocol to head for an escape pod. What advantage would a Raider have?" I ask, genuinely curious. Though it must have sounded strained, I have not done this kind of intense calisthenics since I was a rookie.
"The raiders are also air tight and capable of reentry. There are also 8 life suits on board, including repair equipment and an on-board life support system. The only advantage the pods have is food and water." Says the rather surprisingly well versed PVT.
I run and take a second to think. Before I can entertain the idea I enter the hanger and curse my poor fortune. All the available escape pods have already been launched. The next nearest most pods will be in the upper level-
EERRRRREAK!
The air around us begins to thin as the corridor somewhere far behind us shifts and lets the precious breathable air out to the uncaring void of space. No choice now.
"Rookie, your on deck! Get us off this ship!" I command.
"Yes sir LT!"
Thank you for reading my story thus far! I appreciate the time you spent reading and or listening to this story, and I hope to bring more wonderful chapters in the future. Until next time!
