Twilight Sparkle and the Stupid Original Pony

An hour later the Landerses were doing much better, other than some shell shock to learn that their five hundred plus comrades probably numbered half that. It might have been more merciful not to share what little we knew of the collision, but the sooner they knew the truth the sooner they could come to grips with the loss. History recorded that each team of colonists had trained extensively together, until they were almost like family. An estimate that half their number had been killed might have rendered less tough explorers catatonic, but Guy and Diva were all the more determined to save as many of their fellows as possible.

For their physical condition, the autodoc prognosticated a complete recovery within a few days.

But we didn’t have a few days to get the Longshot 7 landed.

“Unless you get docked and do something about that tumbling,” Bear summarized the orbital situation, “it is going to fall apart. And if you do not get up there on one of the next two orbital passes, you will lose your launch envelope for the next twenty eight hours.”

The 40cm scope swung in its gimbals, tracking the Seven across the night sky.

“Can either of you two fly that thing?” I asked. “We know that the backup and tertiary flight crews were on the bridge with the skipper when you hit the rock. There are no certified pilots left for you to thaw.”

“We both got the required two weeks in the flight sim. We can probably handle it, if it holds together.”

“That's a significant ‘if’. It took quite a whack out there in the Kuiper belt.”

“I’m not getting any telemetry,” Bear observed, “but it looks like shit.”

“We have to try to save everyone who’s still alive,” Diva said, “we’ll leave the kids with you and give it our best.”

“I’m coming with you. Bear, you’re in charge down here.”

“What?” Isha demanded, “I’m second fiddle to your teddy-bear?”

“Third fiddle, babe.” I kissed her cheek, not the one my hip had brushed against when I stepped close. “Sorry, I let Gloam write most of the constitution. I should also warn you that without the testimony of an accredited nutritionist, broccoli is a crime.”

—

Isha watched as nearly half of the human population of Gallop lifted off in the shuttle. A moment had been stolen, a whole future snatched from her grasp. The loss still ached fresh in her heart.

“Gloam,” she said, “there’s something I think you should know.”

The young girl lookup up solemnly. She already knew that mommy and Isha were something. Her young mind struggled to put a word to what they were, but the inevitability drawing them together was apparent even if her awareness lacked vocabulary to express itself. The confusion tonight simply added to her bafflement.

“I took two years of nutritional bioanalytics before I changed my major to brane physics. Depending who survived the collision, I may be the closest thing to an accredited nutritionist on this side of the galaxy.”

“I’m not scared of the broccolis any more,” Gloam said, and squeezed Isha’s hand. “I’m just worried for mommy.”

The flare of the shuttle’s main lifter dwindled until it was lost in the stars.

“Me too, girl, me too.”

—

Docking with the tumbling colony ship looked impossible as it spun. In point of fact, Diva clicked on an automated approach handler and went back to studying reentry procedures with Guy as the shuttle matched spin and mated itself in its pod bay. Apparently landing the Seven was not going to be so simple.

Once the ship was stabilized, there was more time to think about how to land – it was nominally safe for days now, instead of hours. We floated across the day side of Gallop and back to the night while Guy and Diva worked on a landing plan. The ship was on a highly oblique orbit – almost polar – and they debated the advantages of different approach envelopes to touch down near my camp. While they worked out the relative technical merits, I was riveted to a porthole, seeing Gallop from so far above for the first time. Below me a whole world spun, and I had only seen a few square kilometers of it. There were oceans, great rivers and mountains, dozens of different bioms completely unlike the mossy plane where my campsite was. Base camp was still on the nighted side of the planet so I did not get to scope out the terrain surrounding the area I knew. I was glad to see no obvious signs of civilization below me. Humanity would not be crowding anyone’s home.

The landing plan was agreed upon in time to make the attempt on the next pass over the night side where Isha and the children waited.

“Are you sure?” I asked after an explanation too technical for my limited knowledge of space flight.

I may not have understood their words, but I understood that they didn’t look very sure.

“Not sure. But the computer thinks it might work. We’re borderline too heavy for the number of retros that still work.”

“Can you vent water tanks? There’s plenty of water down there.”

“Not a bad idea.” His fingers flew over a keyboard. “But it may not make much difference.”

“What if we ferry people to the surface before landing?”

“Nuh-uh. Our cryo was the only one in a pressure zone that doesn’t have holes That’s why the ship only woke us. If anyone else gets thawed, they’re going to be breathing space.”

“Could we patch the hull and then evacuate—”

“This isn’t some stupid sci-fi movie, we can’t fix a spaceship with chewing gum and an exciting montage. The only way we’re going to shed enough weight to make a difference would be to jettison one of the cryo decks…”

She shook her head. We could all agree that wasn’t an option.

Reentry started as a loud and shuddering descent, but for the first half hour uneventful. Diva and Guy seemed to have everything under control, doing little more than monitoring. A few dozen kilometers above the surface I noticed an increase in their tension. Before I could inquire there was an explosion somewhere off to the right. Was that starboard or port? Half of the console lit up red – the other half went dark. I’m not sure which was worse. With stately poise the whole ship begin to tip. In the distance metal screamed.

“Too hot! We need to reduce speed!” Diva fought down her panic.

“We’re gonna break up—” Guy started to speak but I quieted them.

“Shhh. There is nothing you can do now. Kill the thrusters and trust me.”

I would again brave the aetheric sea of power to salvage the situation. Neither my smattering of Terrestrienne spells nor my untrained Equestrian abilities would suffice to safely land the fracturing starcraft. The chancy surfeit of might underlying the very foundations of reality was the only thing I could use to hold the ship together, slow its descent.

Gathering power to me, I spread my awareness through the structure of the spaceship, gripped the several major fragments with my mind. The ship was heavy, power coursed to meet the need. I could hear the rockets cutting out as I stepped out of my body. Like a discarded garment, like a pool of shadow, my human flesh fell, empty, onto the metal deck far below my new astral vantage. I stood gigantically outside the ship, in Alicorn form. Dwarfing the Longshot I braced my hooves on the upper hull, used my strength to right the craft.

When the ship was once more oriented correctly relative to the surface it must land on I spread my wings, ethereal and golden, kilometers wide, extending far beyond the starship. I could feel the wind against every pinion; I angled against the thin upper atmosphere to slow our descent. Speed under control I looked around. Gallop below us, drifting, falling, floating weightless. Even if it killed me I would give the hundreds of men and women now in my care a place to call home.

“This is your home,” I whispered to the sleepers.

Searching for direction, I found the luminous sparks of the four humans below me on Gallop. The Landers’ children a dim glow, diffuse and mundane; no future in magic for them. Gloam impossibly bright, her radiance spreading along axises of magic beyond my comprehension. She was full of concern but also wonder and acceptance of what she was seeing. Isha’s glow was less powerful but more complex, brilliant with echoes of desire and fierce with a love even deeper than the sexual need we shared.

I sent a telepathic message, unsure if she would get it, unsure if I was even going to survive to apologize.

,,Not tonight, lover,,

With the words flew forth a nonverbal wave of emotions: regret for the delay to our union, duty to help those in need even at risk to my life, excitement for the adventure ahead of the colonists.

Using the sparks of humanity below me as beacons, I could guide my descent to land a safe distance from them.

Strange that supporting a burden the size of a city proved to be easier than levitating a single page. It was all about control.

As the ship settled gently to the ground I stumbled slightly, let power slip away from me, and plummeted back into my mortality.

—

Back in a somewhat bruised mortal shell, the weight of my efforts collapsed upon me.

Oh Celestia I was weary, that was too much. I barely noticed Diva and Guy struggling to carry me towards an airlock.

Both doors cycled at once and I distantly heard Isha’s voice, breathless as from running.

“What happened? Is she okay?”

“I don’t know what happened back there. We lost attitude control and then there was this golden light and impossible…”

“Magic, don’t worry, she must have over exerted herself. Give her to me, you two can barely stand.”

Once more I was in Isha’s arms and I slipped into complete unconsciousness.

—

“…will she be alright?” I heard Diva asking as I faded partially awake.

“I think so,” Isha replied and I dimly realized that the comfortable surface I rested against was her bosom.

I snuggled between her breasts as I sank back to sleep.

Mmmmm, soft…

—

“She’ll be fine,” Isha said with more confidence, “and then I’m gonna kill her.”

Diva looked startled.

“For risking her life like that.”

“Are you lovers?” Diva asked, gazing with warm curiosity at the two naked women. Love had not been so very different when she was young.

“Almost.” Isha smiled ruefully “For years we’ve circled an unspoken something. Tonight we danced, we seduced each other, and then before the kiss a spaceship landed.”

“Ehhhh, sorry for crashing at a bad time? When things settle down you girls can get back on track.”

“The moment has escaped us.” The rueful smile warmed as Isha gazed affectionately down the dear friend lying on her breast. “But at least she’s okay.”

“She saved us all. The whole mission would have been over.”

“I know. I’m in love with a real-life hero.”

“She loves you too, right?”

“Yes, she does.” Isha said. “But she’s still in love with her husband too.”

“Maybe he’d be okay with a three-way relationship with her as the pivot? Or go full triangle – do you like men?”

“Uhhh, I—”

“Think about it, they’re worth a try. Anyway, I should go help Guy, he’s off with the security dude getting ready to start thawing people. Cryos only have a small backup cell and we had to scram the main powerplant — it lost too many cooling loops. We don’t want everyone waking up and trying to evacuate the wreck in the dark, all at once. Are you okay with babysitting?”

The Landers children, were sleeping nearby. Even Gloam was asleep – waking up for midnight adventures was great, but adventurers her age still need their rest.

“Yeah.” Isha wasn’t actually looking at the children. “I got this.”

—

“What went wrong?” Isha asked when I drifted awake again.

“With the ship? I’m no spacer, I don’t know. Collision damage, I guess? It was breaking up and I had to do something.”

“No, with your magic. I saw an explosion. And a moment later, wings. But what happened with your magic?”

“Just too much power. If I ever touch it like that again, it might just take me beyond.”

“Promise me you won’t.”

“I promise I won’t do it lightly.”

“Is that the best I can hope for? You know, it’s not easy to love a hero. How you feeling?”

“I’m fine, gimme a day or two and I can handle it. Just tired. Where’s my baby?”

“Gloam is sleeping right behind you. Get some more rest.”

Again I slipped into unconsciousness.