Breaking Dawn

       As much as I was mad at Pinkie for acting without thinking, it was great to stretch my legs and have a real body.

       And I really wanted to see the ship.

       We disembarked from our ship into the shuttle bay. Personally, I was quite glad for their advanced technology. Electricity was running through everything, so I was able to see. This was going to be great.

       Well, maybe not everything. But close to everything.

       The doors were still made of solid metal.

       Then they opened mockingly with a soft hiss.

       "Are you okay?"

       It was Commander Troi.

       "I'm fine."

       "Wait, are you blind?"

       "Yes. Well, I can see most things."

       Confusion.

       "Metal isn't one of them."

       A slight bit of amusement.

       "It's a long story."

       Data walked up to me. "Could I ask you something?"

       "Yes?"

       "Are you able to see the warp drive from here?"

       "Yes."

       "I understand. You can see power signatures."

       "I suppose that's true. But I don't want to hold every...one up."

       "Of course not," said Picard. "What would you like to see first?"

       Twilight spoke first. "I assume since you detected our ship from so far away, you must have better sensor systems than we do. If you have an observatory of some sort, we can tell you where we live."

       "I think that would be a splendid idea."

       "And there it is. There is home."

       "But that's a white dwarf. Your planet should be freezing!"

       "Zoom in to the planet," I said.

       "See, there it is. Artificial sun and moon."

       "How long ago did this happen?"

       "We don't know precisely. Over two thousand years, though."

       "But how did you make something of that colossal size?"

       "Celestia and Luna made them. It took almost all of their power."

       "Who are Celestia and Luna?"

       "Two of the other alicorns I mentioned."

       "You said this was over two thousand years ago?"

       "Yes."

       "How long is a pony's lifespan?"

       "Normally? About 85."

       "How long is an alicorn's lifespan?"

       "We don't know yet. None of them have died."

       "You said there were only five in existence. What happened to the rest of them?"

       "The rest of...oh. No, alicorns aren't born. Rarely, a pony ascends to become one, but how it happens is virtually unknown."

       "I...see."

       "I have a theory, of course, but it requires a thorough understanding of the theory that makes our magic work."

       "Now, where do you live?"

       The rest of the tour was rather uneventful, while very interesting. Other than a few funny stares, most of the crew left us alone.

       The scariest part of the tour was in Engineering. Not the vast amount of antimatter, but the fact that Pinkie understood it so well.

       Picard refused to explain how any of the technology worked, telling us about the Prime Directive, and it did make a lot of sense. I knew quite well the dangers of too much progress too fast. I had avoided all death in my space program on that principle.

       Meeting Lt. Commander Geordi LaForge was fun. While we toured Engineering, both of us focused on ignoring Pinkie Pie, and comparing what each of us saw.

       He saw a lot more than me, but still, it was fun to talk with someone else who understood.

       After the tour, we gathered in the meeting room.

       "As you do not have a unified government, we cannot accept you into the Federation as we had once hoped. However, there is another option."

       "What would that be?" Twilight asked.

       "A treaty. An agreement, in essence. Both the Federation and Equestria would agree to give assistance should any of them be in danger."

       "We would have done that, anyway, and I'm sure you would too, based on your actions today."

       "Of course. But this makes it official. Starfleet Command has already given approval."

       "Then I will give my approval as well."

       "Thank you. But about this Nightmare you were talking about; what is it, and why is it so dangerous?"

       After our conversation, we went back to our ship. All agreed that it was a resounding success, even Rainbow Dash, who was still suspicious.

       Pinkie hooked me up in record time (just under 30 minutes) and we set off, following the Nightmare's trail. My scans of the system could be analysed mid-flight, and I was already beginning to feel that we spent too much time there already.

       Captain Picard, once suspicious, now agreed with our decision to follow and destroy it. Although they would not travel with us, since that would interfere with our internal affairs, he promised that if we were ever in need of assistance, they would be there to help.

       I looked at the time until the next destination.

       Two days.

We really need to find a new form of entertainment.

       For now, though, stargazing would have to do.