Space. Space is an awfully big place. Even from what we know, and even what we don’t, it is so much bigger than one could ever imagine.
Endless upon endless universes are just next to your own, divided only by the unseen void space. Void space is the in-between. The cracks between the cushions where the remote falls into, only much more difficult to squeeze anything into to dig around.
In the void space, time does not occur, never changing, never ending. Always the same exact moment. For most, it is a trap, a prison, of which no one could ever escape. While for some... determination and drive are powerful enough to conquer anything...
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Alarms rang loudly through the stars, a long, metal, cylinder-shaped ship spinning along at high speeds. Red lights flash all around inside, a bipedal creature in a black hoodie desperately attempting to regain control.
"No, no! Come on we're almost there! Almost out, you stupid piece of ju-gah!?" The creature lost its grip, slinging across the console room. "Grr! You will listen to me! I am the pilot, and you are just a blasted, defective-urk!"
The creature held itself, bending over nearly vomiting from the apparent pain in its face. Its skin started glowing with a bright golden light, the force of it damaging many parts of the ship.
"N... no! I will not die here! Never dying, I will never die!!" It shouted defiantly as if to prove the universe itself that it was too good to die. It began to yowl with pain, as energy shot from every inch of its body. "Aaaaaaaaaaaugh!!!!!"
Then suddenly, it was gone. The creature. The ship. Not even a trace either had ever existed.
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It was a calm, cool night, just on the edge of Equestria and Grifftonia, where two young love birds lay in the tall grass and watch the sky. A dark grey unicorn stallion, with a spiked up, gray and red mane, and a bright blue mare with large griffon wings.
"So..." The mare broke the silence between them. "All packed up for Canterlot then?"
It was obvious in her facial expression that she was disappointed with this fact, but was still happy for her special somepony.
"Yeah. I don't leave until next week, but you can't be too prepared right?" The stallion gave a soft smile. His kindness did not quite match the gruff voice he had. "I'm... definitely excited."
"You should be! You've worked so hard for this, now you're finally so close to your dream!" She beamed, her wings instinctively flexing outward with the enthusiasm. "To join Equestria's Royal Guard is... is... just awesome!"
"It's... only training, Victory."
"And training is just the first stage! Soon, you'll be guarding the Princess' very side!" Victory gently folded her wings back into resting position and rubbed her muzzle into the back of the stallion's mane. "I know you'll make it, Cloud Shade. You're just... the best! No pony else compares."
"… No pony, maybe. But you. You are my other half, so of course, you compare." The cheekiness was prominent in his tone, as his head turned up toward the sky and he gave a smirk.
"You are so sappy. I love you." Her forelegs shifted, leather boots squeaking, as she brought herself to a more comfortable position in the grass. She unfolded her wing closest to him and used it to pull him even closer.
"I love you too Victory." They lay there in one another's gentle embrace, once again enjoying the silence of nature. Up until Cloud Shade felt the need to say something on his mind. "Victory I-"
BOOM!!! His sentence was interrupted by the sound of a loud explosion above them.
"What in the name of Luna was that?!" Victory quickly stood up, attempting to find the source of the noise. "Did somepony just do that sonic rainboom thing??"
"I don’t know. Can't only that one Pegasus in Ponyville do that?" He raised a brow at her conclusion.
"Well, whoever just attempted obviously knows a thing or two." She half mumbled.
The wind began picking up at their hooves, growing faster and faster. Victory shielded her and the stallion's faces with her large wing, gritting her teeth as she tried not to be blown away.
"What's happening??" shouted Cloud Shade.
"I don't know?! I can't even see past my feathers!" Most likely not the best time to show her sass, but still.
Had she not been concentrating, the two would have easily been lifted and thrown about into the air, as the large object whooshed past them. Victory, digging herself into the dirt, used every muscle in her wing just to hold on to her Cloud Shade. The heat the object gave off as it went was almost painful.
Luckily for them, it had gone a bit farther, before crashing into the nearby hillside. The wind subsided, and the two could finally make sense of the situation again.
"Bleh?! What... what was that?" The mare ruffled her feathers clear of the distressed sticking up. The two looked on toward the crash site, dark smoke pillaring up into the air like a growing city.
"I don't know. Wait here, I'll check it out." Cloud Shade got only a few hoofsteps ahead before Victory snuffed with disbelief.
"Like Tartarus, I will. C'mon, I'll race ya!" She whinnied playfully, bursting forward into a gallop.
"V-Victory!? Wait!!" The unicorn nearly stumbled trying to go after her. "Oh, for Luna's sake."
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Fire spread around the area, animals fled from the scene. Luckily no woodland critters were harmed in the incident. The ground, however, was trashed. Only a crater in the ground, dragged along like a screaming child in a toy store unable to get the toy they want. Grass all around, burning to a crisp, far past the edible limit.
The smoke plume soon lessened, but still tailed from the large metal cylinder, now embedded in the ground. Victory fluttered up toward the strange object, flapping away more smoke with her wings. It was clear now that there was an opening in which the smoke was coming from.
“Hello? Is anyone in there?” Victory perched on the edge, peering inside. Her ears lowered as coughing began. “Are you alright? Do you need help?? Eip!?”
The ponygriff was startled as a hoof shot out of the opening, before pulling up its owner. A rather small looking stallion emerges, coughing up all the smoke that had made its way into his lungs. Victory flutters back down to the ground as Cloud Shade manages to catch up.
“What? is there somepony in there?” he questions as if Victory would know.
“Yeah. Hey! Are you alright? Here, lemme help you down.” With a single push of her wings, she leapt back onto the fallen star and positioned herself to help. She grabbed the black hoodie covering the stranger’s face and fluttered him out of the wreckage.
“Wh-what the hell!! Unhand me!!” the stallion swung himself around violently, giving his rescuer a hard smack to the face, which caused her to drop him onto the hard ground. “Guh!?”
“Ow!” Victory rubbed her muzzle in pain, once again landing on her hooves. Her feathers gave a quick ruffle. “What’d you go and hit me for? I was just trying to help you out of there before your coat burned off.”
“I… I don’t need help from anyone! Get away from me! Urgh…” the stranger struggled to stand on his own, and Cloud Shade quickly went to catch him if he should fall.
“Easy there. You had quite a fall, you may have a head injury.” Cloud Shade eases the other down to rest on his knees. He gives the benefit of the doubt for this strange stallion’s horrid attitude being caused by pain or injury.
“I don’t… I don’t need help!” But his legs betrayed him and gave way, causing him to collapse to his side. “Where… where the hell am I now?”
“Well, you’re near our little village of Falkna, it’s just off the border between Equestria and Grifftonia. Not sure where you were going for though.” Victory explained, getting closer. “I’m gonna move your hood back okay? So I can see if you got any open wounds from that crash?”
Carefully, Victory pulled back the black hood revealing the stranger to be a blood-red unicorn, with more than a few scrapes on his face. She gave a frown at the sight, before reaching into her saddlebag.
“What were you going for anyhow?” Cloud Shade asks in an attempt to keep him focused and awake. “In this… weird airship?”
“Tch… I wouldn’t expect you to understand.” The stranger snuffs in disgust, not enjoying either’s company at the moment. “What are you doing over there?”
“Just getting some anti-biotic salve. You got a couple of cuts here and we wouldn’t want them to get infecte- Hey!?” Victory lets out a startled yelp as the new stallion smacks the tube of ointment away. “What’d you do that for!?”
“Do not touch me with that garbage!! … I don’t need it. I don’t need help, damn it!” He attempted to stand, but his knees buckle immediately. “What… Why can’t I stand… …Where… Where are my hands? Where are my hands!?”
“Calm down Mister. You hit your head, you’re not thinkin’ straight.” Victory attempted to calm the hysterical unicorn. “Why don’t we start with something simple? What’s your name?”
“... Master.” He answered under his breath.
“I’m sorry?” Victory tried to get closer to hear him. “I didn’t quite get that.”
“My name… is the Master.” His face scrunched into a sneer as if he was offended he had to tell her his name.
“… Well, it’s nice to meet you, Master.” She gave a warm smile, going to pick the ointment up again.
“… Odd. People usually question the name.” Suddenly, he seemed unsure but kept his intimidating look.
“Sounds normal to me? Is it short for something? Judging by your cutiemark, does it have something to do with time?” Victory deducted. “Anyway, my name is Digital Victory, but everyone calls me just Victory. This is Cloud Shade, my colt friend.”
The stallion blinked, attempting to focus on his rescuers. He grew concerned when he realized they were not what he had thought them to be.
“What? … Do… do either of you have a reflective surface of some sort? Preferably a mirror?” he turned to the mare as she seemed to be the prepared one. He’s met with a nod, as she raises the cover of her bag and lifts a mirror out with her magic.
The Master stared, dumbfoundedly, at his reflection. This couldn’t be right. He found himself to have a muzzle, large round eyes, and what appeared to be a curved, sharp-pointed bump extruding from his forehead. Had it been from the fall?
“This… I… what?” the stallion began to fumble over his words, his breath quickening.
“Hey now, take it easy, breathe.” Cloud Shade attempted to help. However, it was too late. The strange unicorn once again fell to his side, now passed out from the shock. “Ah geez…”
“Oh dear…” Victory had to agree with her partner, giving a look of concern. She looked to her back, then back to the fallen Master. “… Come on Cloud Shade, help me get him onto my back.”
“What?? You can’t be serious.” A look of flabbergast found its way to the stallion’s face. “Victory, we have no idea what this guy’s deal is. He could be dangerous.”
“Oh, hush. He’s injured and needs help. A Digital never leaves anyone to suffer.” She gave a firm nod, before trying her best to lift him herself.
“… Alright, alright, let me help before you hurt yourself…” reluctantly, Cloud Shade helped Victory get the stranger onto her back and the two began to walk back toward their village. “Your grandmother isn’t going to be happy.”
“Eh, what’s the worst that could happen?” A small nicker of amusement escaped the ponygriff’s throat.
“She could snap his head off with one move of her beak.” A morbid answer, but not unusual for Cloud Shade.
“Okay, what’s the worst that would happen, smart guy.”
And so, the adventure began.
Cloud Shade and Victory slunk back into the ponygriff’s home, to be greeted with her grandparents asking a bombardment of questions. The stallion was willing to take the bullet and explain what had happened on their date to the elder couple. Victory took their rescued visitor to her room to rest, while Cloud Shade sat with the unicorn and cockatiel griffon.
“And that’s what happened.” He finished the story, letting out a sigh.
“Well, I must say that’s quite the tale.” The shaggy furred, lilac unicorn chuckled at the end of the explanation. He grabbed his cup of cocoa with his magic. “Falling stars revealing strange, easily unconscious space ponies.”
“Don’t be ridiculous, Sparky dear, that obviously is too absurd to have actually happened.” Digital Harmony rebutted. The larger griffon waved her talons at him. “You know how creative these two can be.”
“But Ma’am-“ Cloud Shade began to argue but was cut off.
“Now, now, my dearest Grandbaby-in-law.”
“We’re not married…” the younger of them mumbled under his breath, seemingly going unheard.
“There's no such thing as space ponies, our planet is the only planet there is, we are alone in the universe, why else would we need Princess Celestia to raise the sun and moon every day and night?”
Cloud Shade pursed his lips ever so slightly, wanting to point out the many flaws with that statement but also wanting to live. A sandwich cookie floated near his mouth, to which he politely declined.
“While I highly disagree with your facts on the matter… Who’s to say whether or not it came from space?” His attention was grabbed by Victory opening and peeking out the door, seeing if he was done yet. “Maybe he fell from a cloud that strayed from his city?”
“Wouldn’t that be a little difficult? Given he’s a unicorn and all?” Star Spark rubbed his mustache in thought, his darker hoof losing some of the mudded dirt from the day. Harmony scratched at her neck, looking away as if to avoid dignifying with a response.
“It’s a lot less difficult to cast a cloud walking spell than to have come from the stars.” The griffon argued.
“Regardless,” The younger sipped at his cup of tea. “He’s here, he’s unconscious, and he fell out of the sky. He’s probably going to need some time to recuperate, and since I’ve already sent my stuff away to Canterlot…”
“Of course, he can stay here as well.” The other unicorn jumped at him with an answer, receiving a very unpleased look from his spouse. “At least until he can stand on his own hooves again. Quite literally.”
“Star Spark, Dear.” Harmony near growled to the stallion. “I really do wish you would at the very least look at my enraged face before making such decisions on both of our behalf…”
“But then I’d never get in a word, my sweet little Fish Pie Tart.” He gave a mischievous grin, sticking out his tongue.
“Don’t you go trying to butter me up with your cute little pet names, you unsavory little sardine sausage.” The griffon attempted not to fall for the sweet talk.
“You didn’t think I was so unsavory the other night, Harmony.” His eyebrows bounced up and down with his implication.
“Nope. Nope, I’m out. Good Night.” Awkwardly, Cloud Shade scuttled to Victory’s room and closed the door behind him, letting out a sigh.
“They being their weird hate flirty again?” The unicorn’s face was met with playfully concerned eyes.
“The word savory was involved.” He shuddered.
“Gross.” Victory moved aside so he could further into the room. Stuck in the tiny hall between it and the door was not comfortable.
“So, how’s the patient?”
“Fine, I think?” The mare’s head hung slightly.
“You think?” Turning to face her, his brows furrowed. “Has something been weird?”
“Well, every five minutes or so-“
The unicorn in question suddenly jerked upward, his back curving away from the bedding. A loud exhale is let out of the unconscious stallion, followed by some magical discharge escaping. Afterward, he once again relaxed, as if nothing had happened.
“… That. That happens.” Victory finally finished.
“Whoa, how strange…” Cloud Shade cautiously got closer. “Some kind of magic residue.”
“Yeah, I’m not really an expert on magic or anything, but…” she trailed off for him to finish the thought.
“Yeah, that isn’t a normal thing…” Victory’s paws flexed, her claws pulling up microscopic bits of carpet, as Cloud Shade thought.
“Do you think he’s sick?”
“Maybe. But I’ve never seen anything like this before.” Gently, the stallion felt the other’s forehead. “He doesn’t feel warm, kind of cold actually. Doesn’t have any cold symptoms?”
“If you can’t figure out, I don’t know anycreature that can. You’re the smartest pony I know.” The feathers on Victory’s back fanned out with her praise.
“Thanks, you're full of it, but thanks.” He gave a gentle smirk in return, walking back over to her. “You're the smartest ponygriff I know.”
“But I’m the only ponygriff you know!” She let out a gentle whinny of a laugh. “I’m glad I didn’t find him alone, don’t think anyone would believe me if I had.”
“I would have. I’ll always believe you and your crazy tales.” Cloud Shade rummaged through her saddlebag.
“Gee, thanks. You know its rude to go through a mare’s bag, right?” Victory laughed.
“I’m just looking for that ointment in case he did get banged up worse than we thought.” He pulled out the ointment, pulling out several other things in the process.
“That won’t… be necessary…” Both Victory and Cloud Shade were startled as the stallion spoke up. “Anything that was wrong is already healed anyhow… ow… Aside from this blasted headache…”
“Oh, you’re awake?? How do you feel, other than that headache… obviously?” The ponygriff hopped up to help the other. “How many feathers am I holding up?”
“I don’t care…” the stranger put a hoof to his horn. “Urgh. Whatever the blazes is this?”
“Uh, you mean your horn? Here, I’m not too good at magic but headache spells I can do.” Gently, Victory touched her horn to his, beginning to perform her magic.
“Hey, what the he-?! …Oh… Oh, that actually, feels remarkably better…” he began to protest but calmed himself as the pain went away. “Wow, you two are… very blurry.”
“Blurry? Oh, I have something that might help, wait here.” Without even waiting for a response, the mare trotted out the door and closed it behind her, leaving the stallions alone.
“Oh, by all means, don’t mind me… just having a mental episode with the realization of me becoming a horse.” A sneer found its way onto Master’s face.
“You’re a pony, not a horse. Big difference…” Cloud Shade huffed annoyedly.
“Whatever. I am a hooved quadruped, much different than before.” Master struggled to get up from his spot, near growling as the other tried to help him with his balance.
“You expect us to believe you used to be something different?” the darker raised a brow.
“Whether you believe or not is up to your primitive little brain to decide.” Master looked away, uninterested.
“Why you…” Before Cloud Shade could finish the thought, Victory trotted back into the room, humming a happy tune.
"Here you go, I think these will fit you okay." She levitated a pair of deep blue glasses and gently placed them on the peculiar's sneering snout. He did not like the sudden touching.
"Oh, glasses..." He seemed unimpressed once more, straightening the glasses awkwardly. "How do these even work... That is… remarkably better, I can actually see. Erm… and you are much less… equine than I previously thought."
"What?" Cloud Shade tilted his head, with a look of confusion.
"I'd maybe get me, cause I'm part griffon, but Cloud Shade?" Victory tilted her head in the opposite direction at the thought.
"Well, your eyes are very large and front-facing for a ‘pony’. Not to mention the spherical, enlarged skulls. Dear Rassilon, do I actually look like that as well?? Your snouts are so small compared to the rest of your heads!" He began to ramble, that was new.
"Hey, Ponies come in all shapes and sizes." The other stallion protested.
"Let's have another look at that mirror, yeah?" Master motioned to Victory, waving his hoof toward himself at her.
"Y-yeah, alright." the ponygriff complied, lifting the mirror so he could inspect himself.
"Ugh… I can see it clearly now. The glasses definitely help. The voice, eh, it’ll do. These ears, wow. Teeth," Master loudly clacked his teeth together. "Actually rather normal, I still appear to have canines. Overall. Eh this is me we’re talking about, I make it work."
"Erm..." the gray unicorn leaned over to whisper to his partner. "I think he may have hit his head harder than we first thought..."
"Either that or he really is that egotistical." Victory whispered back. Master ignored them completely.
"Right, well." He began moving towards the door. "I best get back to my ship."
"Ship? You mean the tubey thing?" the mare tilted her head.
"... Yes. the tubey thing." The disdain in the Master's voice was apparent. "It's not far from here, yes?"
"Right but-" Cloud Shade was rudely interrupted as Master pushed past.
"Yes, thank you, I can handle it from here. Go back to your mediocre lives." As Master attempted to grab the door handle, the other stallion let out a snuff.
"Uh, you may wanna wait-" Victory began.
"I'm fine now, thank you." he was obviously getting irritated now with the handle, but finally managed to grip it enough to twist. Master opened the door, paused with wide eyes, and then proceeded to slowly close the door again.
"Yeaaah, Granmama and Granpapa like to be... publicly intimate." Victory's ears lowered, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment.
"So it would... seem." Master repressed a shudder.