Cassidy looked on in awe as she sat beside Altair, the smell of the ocean was strong in her nostrils. The two of them, as well as Altair’s parents, were seated on a stage with nearly a dozen Naval officers. The stage was located on a large concrete pier, and docked at that pier was the largest ship Cassidy had ever seen in her life. The ONV Enterprise, Onorus’ first ever Arcane Fission Powered Naval Vessel. This vessel was the first of her class. Cassidy had been living with the Occisors for nearly a month, she’d gone to numerous functions with them, but this was the first one where she was in the public eye.

They were officially christening the Enterprise, named in honor of the carriers that had come before her, and Cassidy had a front row seat. She had seen many interesting things in her time living with Altair, but nothing as impressive as the steel leviathan that sat at anchor in front of her. Enterprise eclipsed all carriers that had come before, she was just over two thousand feet long and wider than her predecessors. With eight reactors, she could outrun any ship on the planet, and she carried enough firepower to level the Caribou Empire five times over.

Cassidy and Altair had more than enough time to go over the specifications of the ship, at least, that they were allowed to know. It had been a long flight from Canterlot to Chrysalista, formerly known as Applewood, in the Changeling Autonomous Region. Now all Cassidy could do was look on in wonder at the massive vessel, it was as if it had come right out of science fiction. She, as well as Altair, seemed to be having trouble looking interested in the numerous speeches being given by the naval officers at the podium. Cassidy had no idea how boring it could be to sit in front of a crowd of seven thousand people, even when she was nervous out of her mind.

Most of the crowd was comprised of changelings, griffons, and thestrals, as well as a smattering of humans. These were the lucky sailors that would crew the Enterprise, as most ponies in this part of Onorus still weren’t keen on serving in the armed forces. Cassidy felt Altair’s hand move to hers, he gave her a couple short squeezes, causing her to glance over at him. He was smirking at her, as if to assure her she had nothing to worry about. Occasionally she’d see the flash of a photographer, but it didn’t phase her much. Oddly enough, she felt like she belonged when she was next to Altair, no matter how outlandish and strange the situation was.

The two stopped holding hands when they both noticed Altair’s father get up from his seat, he was in his full dress uniform. Unlike Altair’s Onorus Prima uniform, his father’s Olive Drab uniform was adorned with medals and ribbons of all sizes and colors. Cassidy could see the look of pride in Altair’s eyes, the longing to have that same amount of ribbons on his own chest one day. Cassidy didn’t understand why, at least, for the most part. Altair’s father was a great man, there was no denying that, but she didn’t understand why Altair didn’t want to make a name for himself by being himself… She didn’t know why he wanted to be like his father.

Cassidy didn’t listen to the speech that the Imperator gave, she just kept watching Altair, he seemed to hang on every word his father said. From his opening remarks, all the way up to when he personally gave command of the Enterprise to her new captain, Altair seemed enthralled. Then came the moment to actually stand up and watch as a bottle of champagne was smashed against the hull of the carrier, marking its official registration with the Onorussian Navy. There had been some concern about whether the vessel was necessary, but considering that the Crystal Empire was still capable of striking the Onorussian mainland with Thermo-Arcane weapons, those concerns were quickly forgotten.

The girl kept an eye on Altair as he and the others watched the ship while its crew began to file on board, she could see a smile starting to form on the boys face as he straightened up and puffed out his chest. Cassidy had taken to calling this posture ‘The Alpha Male’ posture, one that she had been seeing more and more as Altair grew more confident in himself. It was a sign that her presence seemed to be helping him come out of his shell, she just hoped that he wasn’t building himself up too much. The girl slowly looked to his hip where she noted something new, Altair had taken to carrying a sword recently. Though not as ornate as his father’s, it was still clearly a well made blade.

Cassidy scooted closer to him as they stood there, watching the crew marching aboard the vessel, slipping her hand into his. Altair smiled a bit more and looked over at his girlfriend, then looked back to the massive warship that stood ahead of him.

“This is history in the making…” Altair said just loud enough so that only Cassidy could hear him over the sound of cheering and marching music, the girl turned and looked at him with a raised eyebrow. “The Enterprise is more than a warship… Did you know she is also equipped with hydroponics farms, air and water filtration systems, even mineral refinery capabilities… I only just found out recently.” The teen looked over at his mother, the alicorn was talking with her herdmates quietly, then Altair looked back to the ship. “This is what my mother has been working on over the years.”

“I thought Luna worked with the Space Agency.” Cassidy said with a curious tone.

“She does.” Altair said as he continued to smile. “I’ve finally figured it out…” He pointed to the ship ahead of them. “This is more than an Aircraft Carrier, Cassidy. This is a prototype… At least five hundred of her crew are scientists.” Cassidy was certainly smart enough to understand where Altair was going with his train of thought. The Enterprise was capable of going out to sea and never returning to port… Fully self sufficient. Capable of refueling itself, feeding itself, even repairing itself…

“It’s a colony.” Cassidy said with a bit of surprise, Altair nodded simply, the smile never once leaving his face as he watched the metal behemoth. “They’ve been talking about a Colony Shot for years, but… I never thought it would actually happen.”

“A pseudo-spaceship at the very least… As I said, this is likely the prototype.” Altair said as he grasped Cassidy’s hand gently in his own. “If it succeeds… Who knows, perhaps we may find ourselves walking on the soil of another planet sooner rather than later.” The boy smiled widely as the wind picked up a bit, causing the flags on the stage to wave and flap loudly. Altair quietly turned his head towards Cassidy, his smile fading ever so slightly. “I need to tell you something, Cassidy… Not here. Just, know that it isn’t anything bad. Okay?”

“Alright.” Cassidy said, she trusted Altair’s words, so she didn’t let herself worry. She, like the others on the stage, just stood there and took in the view.

[♠]

Cassidy and Altair entered their hotel room as the sun was setting on the horizon, the party that had come after the christening was still going on in the ballroom of the high end hotel, but the two teens had grown tired of the rather old fashioned style of celebration. Cassidy didn’t take long to let her hair down out of its stylized bun while Altair undid his tie and tossed it onto one of the tables near the door. There were two beds in the room, as well as a large TV and a mini fridge. Cassidy kicked off her shoes and hopped onto her bed, the one furthest from the window that looked out over the harbor at the naval yard.

Altair pulled off his boots and undid his uniform shirt, leaving him in just his tan uniform pants and a white undershirt. The teen walked to his bed near the window and sat on the end, running a hand over his head. Cassidy had to admit his newest haircut was rather stylish, it was rapidly becoming a popular style among young soldiers. It was an undercut, combed to the right and buzzed very short on the sides and back, though it was more well known as the Prima Cut due to its popularity with Onorus Prima Cadets like Altair. The girl watched as her boyfriend quietly rubbed his feet, it seemed his boots weren’t meant for parties on extremely flat ballroom floors.

“Remind me next time to wear my normal combat boots instead of the dress boots.” Altair grunted as he pulled off his socks and continued to squeeze his feet. The boy looked over at Cassidy quietly. “So, your first public party, what did you think?”

“Too many men with odd facial hair, I felt like I was in a history book about Terra’s first world war.” Cassidy replied with a slight chuckle. “I liked the music though, even if it was predominantly military marches.”

“Yeah, you get used to all that.” Altair said as he looked out the window at the horizon, clouds were rolling in and he could see snowflakes beginning to fall from the sky. Cassidy watched as he seemed to freeze up for a couple seconds, staring off into the distance as if remembering something from long ago… After a moment or two he shook his head and went back to looking at Cassidy. He must’ve noticed the look of concern on her face, because he let out a soft sigh and turned his body to face her. “Sorry if I seemed a little distracted, I just haven’t been to the West Coast during Autumn since…. I was a boy.”

“You okay?” Cassidy asked, Altair began to nod, but after a couple seconds he came to a stop.

“I… No…” Altair admitted as he looked back to the window. “Look, don’t tell my parents… They’ll worry.”

“So will I.” Cassidy said firmly as she sat up on her own bed and turned to face Altair fully. “Come on, spill it… What’s going on in that big handsome head of yours?” The boy chuckled for a second before his expression shifted, she could see he was remembering something. After a couple seconds she saw him rubb his head, as if trying to push something out of it.

“I haven’t been here in Autumn since the Caribou War, I didn’t think it would bug me, but…” Altair admitted while looking at the floor. Cassidy could see Altair was dealing with some primal emotions, judging by his demeanor he was really off his game. “Look, back then my Mom and I were pretty much inseparable…” Cassidy stood up and walked to Altair’s bed, she sat beside him and put a hand on his shoulder. “We were visiting the coast when the Deers started shelling, the marines came to get us out, but my mom couldn’t get in the truck fast enough… So, she told them to go on without her.”

“Oh, Altair… I had no idea.” Cassidy said in a soft voice while she gave his shoulder a squeeze. “But, we both know that she’s okay, right?” Altair nodded, but he still looked troubled as he wrung his hands.

“Up until then I’d never been so scared, and when I learned who was responsible, I’d never been so angry…” Altair looked over at Cassidy with a vulnerable expression. “The fact is, I started hating the Caribou when I was a kid… Now that I’m older, I’m worried about what that says about me.” The boy looked back at the floor. “Your parents can’t stand me, but me hating the Caribou… Isn’t that just as bad? I’m just worried that you… You’ll think less of me…”

“I don’t.” Cassidy said as she put an arm around Altair and kissed him on the cheek. “My parents never once were self aware, they never questioned their hate.” She leaned against him and rubbed his shoulder. “We all have things that we think shouldn’t be a part of us, it’s how we handle those things that determines the kind of person we are… And you, Altair… You’re a good man.”

“You mean that?” Altair asked, Cassidy nodded. She was surprised as Altair turned and hugged her tightly, the girl put her arms around him and hugged right back. After a couple moments the two of them let go, though both of them continued to hold hands. “You know how I needed to talk to you earlier, right?” Cassidy nodded as she recalled what had been said at the christening ceremony.

“What did you want to tell me?” She asked as the two of them sat together, side by side as the snow continued to fall outside.

“Well, I’m turning sixteen soon, which means I’ll be able to get my GED.” Altair said as he adjusted his seat on the bed. “Now, I know that would mean me not going to school with you anymore, but… I’d be able to get an actual job, y’know? I know you aren’t really at home in the Castle, so, it would start going towards us getting a place of our own when we turn eighteen.” Cassidy seemed a bit surprised by the statement, after all, they were still teenagers and here they were discussing moving in together… Then again, Cassidy had already sort of done that when her parents had forced her out. The thought of taking things a little further sounded reasonable, and it was two years down the road, she’d have plenty of time to change her mind.

“What would you do? Once you got your GED, I mean… Junior MPs?” Cassidy asked, Altair paused for a couple seconds before looking at the floor.

“That’s a possibility, but… I’ve spoken with my father. There’s a law that would allow me to enlist in the Army two years early if I get consent of a parent and authorization of at least a Colonel.” Altair said before looking back at Cassidy, she was staring at him with a bit of a surprised expression. “I’ve spoken to the school recruiter, with my aptitude scores and Onorus Prima training, they said I could be assigned to a Wanderpanzer Battalion.”

“A Wanderpanzer Battalion?” Cassidy said in a bit of shock. “You mean Power Armor? Isn’t that dangerous?” Altair opened his mouth, then paused, as if trying to think of something to say. “C-Couldn’t you just be a Fallschirmjäger instead? I’d rather you jump out of planes than go up against anti-tank rifles and missile launchers!” She rubbed the back of her neck for a couple seconds. “You don’t even need to enlist in the Army! You could go to the Junior MPs for two years! Think things over more!”

“I could.” Altair said quietly as he looked back at her. “It’s just, ever since I was a kid, all I ever wanted to be was a soldier. It’s all I’ve ever worked towards… All I ever thought about… At least, until I met you.” He put his hand on her shoulder. “If you don’t want me to enlist, I won’t. Hell, you could say you wanted to be pig farmers together and I’d say yes.”

Cassidy took a deep breath and looked at the floor. In the old world, on Terra before the Plague, such an idea of joining the army at sixteen was outlandish… But in the wake of the Plague those social values had transformed, it wasn’t unusual for sixteen year olds to enlist or to get their GEDs, their generation had been raised differently it seemed… Maturing earlier, embracing older values of patriotism and sacrifice. Cassidy had always known that one day Altair would join the military, the only question was whether that day was two years or two months away.

“I had to think about this for a while, so don’t think you have to answer right away-” Altair began to say.

“Do it.” Cassidy said, cutting him off. Altair looked at her with a raised eyebrow. “You and I always knew you’d end up joining… Best we just get it over with now, rip it off like a bandaid.” The girl put her arms behind his neck to hold him closer. “Besides… Now I might have something new to add when I write songs with the rest of the band…” Altair smiled as the two of them continued to sit close to one another, neither one wanting to be apart from the other for some time… Eventually Cassidy returned to her own bed and got comfy under the blankets while Altair put on the Television, an old Terran film was playing. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest, which happened to be one of Cassidy’s favorites. The two of them sat there quietly, each thinking about what the future would hold for them, each hoping that things would turn out... Eventually Altair got up from his bed and slipped his boots back on.

“I’m gonna go get some chips, want some?” He asked, Cassidy nodded as she watched him walk to the door. He stepped out in the hallway, closing the door behind him. Altair sighed as he stood outside the door, looking up and down the hallway before tucking his hands into his pocket and making his way towards a balcony that lead out to an area where guests could look out over the city. He stepped outside, shivering slightly as the cold air hit his skin. The door closed on its own behind him as he approached the railing that looked out over the city, Altair placed both hands on the railing and took a deep breath.

The teen reached into his back pocket and withdrew a red pack of cigarettes, he had lifted them off of one of the more drunk Naval officers at the party, as well as a lighter. He sighed heavily as he took one of the cigarettes from the pack and stuck it in his mouth, then lit the end and took in another deep breath. Altair leaned against the railing, exhaling smoke through his nostrils as he looked down from the balcony at the city streets so far below. He nudged a couple pebbles of gravel off the ledge of the roof, watching as they tumbled out of sight on their way to the ground. The teen frowned and closed his eyes as he took another drag on his cigarette, he wasn’t one for breaking the law, but smoking felt like the only way he could cope with the stress he felt.

Even in the wake of such happy news, even when he and Cassidy were thinking about the future, Altair had a cloud that hung over his head. He never told anyone about it, not his parents, not Cassidy, no one. It was like he was viewing life through a filter of melancholy grey, like there was a weight on his shoulders that never went away. Altair had never felt so happy in his life, knowing that he and Cassidy would have some sort of life together… And yet, this cloud colored it all a dark shade of grey. He found himself wondering if maybe that cloud would never go away… If that was the case, he didn’t know if life was really worth living… Wasn’t that the point of life? To find happiness?

Altair tossed his cigarette over the railing and straightened up, for the briefest of moments he felt an urge to follow the orange embers of the cancer stick on their journey to the pavement… But only for a moment. The urge passed as quickly as it came, with a brief shake of his head Altair stuffed his pack of cigarettes back into his pocket and and ran a hand over his head. He walked back to the doors, thinking of ways to explain why he now smelled like smoke when he eventually returned to the room with the chips. With every step he took the dark cloud continued to follow behind him, making him wish for some way out from under the cloak of sadness.

Author's Note

Well, here you lovely dovelies are, sorry for the delay in getting this out. I've been dealing with some more life stuff, but thankfully this is the good kind of interruption. The kind that's fluffy, has four paws, and occasionally howls. I'll try to get the next chapter out sooner.

Anyway, here's the clip of the day. I dunno, I thought it was funny.