Far Beyond Equestria

Sweetie was thankful for a dreamless night. Her dreams were getting far too weird for her liking. She wished she could remember everything that happened the night she disappeared without having to relive it or enter a strange void.

Jadzia gently shook her awake. When she opened her eyes, the lights were set to dim. A few moments later, Sweetie stumbled into the main room. Jadzia was already dressed in her uniform, and breakfast was on the table.

Sweetie quickly ate her toast and porridge. After, Jadzia rushed her into the sonic shower all while Sweetie grumbled that she was going as fast as she could.

“You can brush your mane on the runabout,” said Jadzia after Sweetie stepped out of the shower. She sat Sweetie’s saddlebags over her back. “Your brush in there. We have to go. We need to report to the airlock by 0600.”

“What about a raktajino?” asked Sweetie with a grumble.

“Later.” Jadzia stepped out into the corridor.

Sweetie followed Jadzia’s fast-paced walk through the corridors. She was finding it difficult to keep up without trotting. “Are we late?” she huffed.

“We have two minutes to be there,” Jadzia replied.

“How long is a—” Sweetie picked up her pace. This was more activity than she wanted to do early in the morning. “What happens if we are a minute late?”

“Being punctual is important,” Jadzia replied.

“Okay, but why?” asked Sweetie. “Isn’t it better to arrive a little late than to arrive on time and a sweaty mess?” Sweetie cringed internally thinking how proud Rarity would be for hearing her say that. But it was true. Ponies would rather not rush about and look like a disaster if they could help it.

“Debate later.” Jadzia’s reply was curt. “We are here. And on time.”

Julian and Major Kira were standing by the airlock. They appeared to arrive a few moments before they did.

“On time indeed,” said Julian with a chipper smile. “But we wouldn't have minded if you were a few minutes late. It’s not like we were going to leave without you.”

Sweetie scowled at Jadzia who returned a sympathetic smile.

Sweetie’s irritation vanished, however, as she watched the giant gear-like doors of the airlock roll into the walls. The first gear rolled to the right and then the second gear rolled to the left. Behind the second gear, Sweetie could make out a much different room which she assumed was the ship.

Her heart filled with excitement as she realized she was about to be traveling across the stars. Not only had she been living in a floating city in the stars, but she was about to see a whole other planet! No pony had ever set their hooves on a different world.

Sweetie’s view of the station outside the Promenade was banal. However, she had to admit the airlock was anything but that. The design of the doors was imposing, and the feeling she got while walking through it was electrifying. It was like crossing a gangplank and boarding a balloon to take you away on an adventure.

Stepping into the ship was like stepping into a completely different world. Everything was different: the colors, the sounds, and even the smells. The ship was quiet compared to the station. Everything was beige… so much beige—and there was carpeting everywhere! It wasn’t the softest, but Sweetie wasn’t complaining. It felt better than the metal floor of the station.

There were two chairs at the front and a window looking out into space in front of them. There was a console between them with many illuminated buttons. In the left seat, Sweetie recognized the curly hair of the person occupying it.

“Welcome aboard,” said Miles. “I’m doing one last systems check and then I will be out of here.”

“Hi, Miles,” said Sweetie with a warm smile. She walked over to see what he was working on. However, to her annoyance, he was looking at a screen full of text. “You’re not coming with us?”

“Nope, not on this one,” he replied. “But don’t worry. She’s in top working condition. I’m just being thorough. Lieutenant Dax and Major Kira are more than capable of handling most issues that might come up, if any.”

“Why thank you, Chief. We’ll try to bring her back in one piece,” said Major Kira.

Sweetie was confident Kira was joking, but she found herself tensing up nonetheless.

Miles pushed some buttons and then stood up from the front seat. “All systems are go. The injectors are running a little hot, but well within tolerance. Something to keep an eye on. She’s all yours.”

Kira and Jadzia took the two front seats. Sweetie stood behind them while Julian stood at a console behind her. Behind Julain was a curious raised platform made of glass and had two bright circles on it. Sweetie didn’t have much time to dwell on it as Kira began the departure procedure.

“Mekong to DS9, requesting permission for departure,” said Kira. Her tone was serious and professional.

“Thrusters at stationkeeping,” Jadzia added in a quiet voice.

“Permission granted, Mekong,” said Sisko’s voice over the comm.

“Airlock is secure. Releasing docking clamps,” said Jadzia.

“Ahead full once we are clear,” said Kira.

“Coming about, heading: two seven zero, mark, one two,” said Jadzia.

Sweetie watched as the stars out the front window slowly rotated. The ship was moving, but she felt nothing. She expected to jolt forward or to feel some sort of force of it moving.

“Would you like a look at the station, Sweetie?” asked Kira.

“Ooh yeah!”

The window in front of her blinked. In the window was the station and its arm-like pylons. The pylons were taller than the tallest tower in Equestria. The center of the station had many more levels than Sweetie thought. She did recognize the oval windows on the Pomenade’s upper level, but she couldn’t make out if anyone were looking out of them.

“It’s much bigger than I thought,” said Sweetie. “And it’s kind of… spooky looking.”

“Not as spooky as the war crimes committed there under the occupation,” Kira muttered. “Anyway, this will be our view for the next four hours. “The window changed to a view of the stars and the black of space.

“Course laid in for the Valos system,” said Jadzia. “Ahead warp four.”

Sweetie’s mouth fell open as the stars in front of her all stretched out into long beams of light. A second later they were passing by like slow flakes in a winter storm. All while the ship remained as still as ever.

“How fast are we going?”

“Pretty fast,” said Kira. “We are going to travel ten light years in a few hours. Without warp speed, this journey could take months, maybe even a year or two.”

Sweetie frowned as she did the math. She still didn’t understand what ‘year’ meant, but she had an idea of what a light year was.

“Something the matter?” asked Kira. “You seem lost in thought.”

“Oh, I was trying to calculate how fast we were going,” said Sweetie with a nervous laugh. “It sounds like we are going faster than the speed of light. But that’s impossible, right?”

Kira’s eyes went wide as her mouth hung open. She quickly recovered and nodded. “Okay, okay, so you know about the universal speed limit.”

Out of the corner of her eye, Sweetie saw Jadzia smirk; however, Kira didn’t appear to notice as she continued talking. ‘We are not traveling faster than light per se. We are bending space around us in a bubble. This makes the distance we have to travel shorter. Warp four means we are bending space by a factor of four.”

“How can you bend space? Isn’t it nothing?” Sweetie shook her head. “Not nothing, sorry, I meant isn’t there nothing to bend?”

“The entire fabric of space itself can be bent. For instance, gravity has a huge effect on the fabric of space and time,” said Jadzia.

Sweetie scratched her head. “Yeah… I think I remember reading that. The equations for that are really advanced though.”

They sat in silence for a while. Sweetie listened to the hum of the ship as the stars whizzed by. She found time to get her mane taken care of. She laughed as Julian and Kira cringed at her aggressive brushing technique.

“There’s something I’ve been wanting to ask you, Sweetie Belle,” said Julian, finally breaking the long silence.

“Yes?” Sweetie turned to face Julian.

“How’s your leg?” he asked as he walked towards her.

“A little stiff, but it’s a lot better.” Sweetie stretched her hind leg out, flexing her hoof. “That still hurts a little.”

“Mind if I check?”

Sweetie nodded.

“Okay, I’m going to feel parts of your leg. Don’t be alarmed,” said Julain as he knelt beside Sweetie.

“I’m not worried,” she said in a quiet reply.

“I’m only making sure. I don’t want another incident like with your horn.” Julian ran his hand over her upper leg, working his way down. His fingers prodded into her tendons causing her leg to twitch.

“Incident with your horn?” asked Jadzia. “Sweetie you didn’t mention any issues with your horn.” Jadzia looked concerned. But her expression changed to confusion as Sweetie laughed.

“It was a misunderstanding.” Sweetie giggled again as Julian’s hand was now down at her fetlock. “Hey! That tickles.”

“Well, good news. Your leg is healing nicely and your muscles and tendons seem to be working there. I think the soreness will go away in a day or two.” Julian pushed Sweetie’s extended hind leg forward, making her knee stick out in an odd angle. “Excellent range of motion.” He let go of her leg and stood up. “I’m glad to report you are in good health, miss Sweetie Belle.

“Now, if you all will excuse me, I have some reading to catch up on before we arrive.” Julian disappeared through a door to the side of the raised glass platform.

“So,” said Kira as soon as Julian left,” Sweetie, I feel like I haven’t had a chance to talk to you much. So tell me about yourself.”

Sweetie beamed. She had never been asked that question since she arrived. At least not that exact question. Sweetie talked about her life, her misadventures as a Cutie Mark Crusader, her desire to go to the academy after secondary school, and recounted a normal day in Ponyville.

“It sounds nice,” said Kira. “You forgot to mention any crushes. Boyfriends?”

“You mean colt friends?” Sweetie shrugged. “I had a few. But there’s only one pony who has my heart right now, and I wish I could see her right now.”

“I hope you do too,” said Jadzia as she turned to face Kira. “She’s madly in love with this other pony. It’s so cute.”

Sweetie’s face burned as Kira smiled.

“It’s interesting you like both stallions and mares,” said Kira.

This again. Jadzia was right. She was the strange one here. “I like ponies,” said Sweetie. “And I like ponies who are nice to me, cute, and share common interests with me. Stallion, mare, something in between? We’ll make it work.

“I know that sounds strange to you, but us ponies really aren’t picky about what parts another pony has.”

“That is wild!” said Kira. “Here I thought I’ve seen it all. Sex must be really interesting there.”

“From what I have been hearing, you would probably think so. Especially if I told you what goes on during estrus.” Sweetie grinned.

“So what goes on?” asked Jadzia with a smirk.

“Sex,” said Sweetie in a deadpan tone. “Lots of it.”

“No details?” asked Jadzia.

Sweetie shrugged. “I want to know what you two do during estrus”

Jadzia and Kira exchanged looks. “We, um, don’t go through that.”

Sweetie’s mouth fell open in shock. “What? No itch, no fidgeting, no heat, and no insatiable horniness fueled by pheromones?”

“No, that’s not a thing we’ve experienced,” said Jadiza. “We go through a cycle, but it’s far from anything like that.”

“You’re missing out,” Sweetie replied.

“Missing out?” asked Kira. “Those symptoms you listed don’t sound that fun.”

Sweetie laughed. “I’m joking. Estrus can be a stressful time for everyone. But we… um, manage it.” Sweetie sighed. “How did we get on this topic anyway?” Everyone laughed in response.

“Well, how about a tour of the rest of the ship?” asked Kira.

“Yeah, that sounds fun,” Sweetie replied, glad to have something to do aside from answering questions about estrus.

“This is odd,” said Jadzia. She was staring at one of the screens in front of her controls. “I’m detecting tetryon particles. Nothing to be concerned about yet. You two go ahead. I’ll keep an eye on this.”

Sweetie’s heart rate shot up. “Do we have a way to block them?”

“We also do not have the ore on board so I don’t think they will coalesce around us. However, I have modulated our shields to protect against them as a precaution.” Jadiza pushed some buttons on her screen. A bunch of text flew across it then vanished. “These tetryons are not staying around very long either. This is normal behavior. There’s just a lot of them.”

“That’s good,” said Sweetie, mostly trying to convince herself. “Does this mean we are getting close?”

“We are almost halfway there,” Jadzia replied. “It’s incredible we are seeing signs this far away.”

“Does that mean there is another hole in subspace closer than where we are going?” asked Sweetie.

“There’s nothing on sensors,” said Jadzia. “Go with Major Kira for a tour. I will keep an eye on this.”

Sweetie followed Kira through the same door she saw Julian go through. She entered a very narrow hallway with a couple of doors on each side.

“These runabouts are slightly bigger than a shuttle, but they are equipped for multi-day trips with sleeping quarters.” Kira opened one of the rooms. Compared to Jadzia’s room, it was a broom closet. There was a small bed Sweetie wasn’t sure she could fit in; she had no idea how any of them could sleep in it. And there was a console on the wall and a small coffee table with a chair. “No need to open the others. They all look like this.”

The hall opened up to a large conference room. The table had six chairs around it, and behind it, were some small rectangular windows. Sweetie watched as the stars streaked by in the windows. Julian was sitting at the table, staring intently at a padd.

“Oh, Major, Sweetie,” Julian muttered, briefly looking up.

“I was just giving her a quick tour of the runabout,” said Kira.

“Yes, I see,” Julian replied. He looked up at Sweetie. “And how do you like it?”

“So far this is really neat! This is the first spaceship I’ve ever been on.”

Julian smiled. “You never forget the first ship you fly on. Well… so they say. I was too young to remember the first ship I went on.”

“What about you, Kira?” asked Sweetie.

“I, um, would rather not talk about my first time on a ship.”

Sweetie facehoofed. “Oh, right, the occupation. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t worry about it. And please, call me Nerys,” she said quickly.

Sweetie nodded. The way names worked here continued to baffle her. She couldn’t discern any rhyme or reason why sometimes they were called by one name, but she could refer to them by a different name.

“Well, since we’re halfway there, why don’t we have lunch?” asked Julian.

Sweetie decided to have a salad topped with daisies for lunch. She smiled to herself at how good she was getting with the replicator. Finally, a way to way to cook that didn’t end in disaster! If only she could tell it to make hay burgers.

Sweetie munched away at her salad. She recognized the wrap thing Nerys was eating, and her tongue almost burned by looking at it. However, what Julian was eating turned her stomach. She knew it was replicated meat and no creature died, but the idea of it made her look away. Eventually, the aroma wafted her way, and Sweetie was done. She hurriedly returned half of her salad to the replicator and left the conference room.

Instead of returning to the front, she entered one of the small sleeping quarters. She doubled over on the small bed with her hooves over her stomach.

“Get a grip,” she muttered.

Suddenly, a bright flash of light caused Sweetie to jump as a man in a red uniform appeared.

“You again!” Sweetie exclaimed.

“Oh, my sweetest little pony. You sound so pleased to see me.” He folded in an exaggerated bow.

“Well of course! Aren’t you going to send me home?” Sweetie smiled.

He doubled over laughing. “Sen-send you home?”

Sweetie frowned. “What’s so funny, Q?”

He grinned. “So you have heard of me. No doubt Benjamin is still bragging about that boxing match.

“I’m not here to send you back, little filly. No, I’m here to warn you to turn back now and forget about this whole endeavor. You would be much happier living on that Cardassian monstrosity.”

Sweetie’s nostrils flared as she snorted. “No, I wouldn’t! And we are not turning around! But you have the power to send me home.”

Q sighed. “Such demands. Tisk, tisk. It’s not every day one of your kind gets out of their bubble.”

Sweetie rolled her eyes. “If not for me, do it for Fluttershy.” Sweetie grinned. This was it! The magic words.

“For Fluttershy? Why would I do anything for—oh you must have me confused with—well, no matter. If I send you home, where would all of the fun be?”

“Fun?” asked Sweetie as her face started heating up.

“Yes, fun! This is the greatest joke of the cosmos!” Q waved an arm through the air before placing his hand on his chest. “But I am here to help you.”

Sweetie gritted her teeth. Her heart was pounding. “Yeah… thanks,” she replied in a flat tone. “You won’t send me home? Fine! Can you at least tell them I’m alright!”

Q smiled broadly before vanishing in a flash of light.

Sweetie stomped her hoof repeatedly. She threw herself on the bed and screamed into the pillow. She didn’t care how dramatic or foal-like her behavior was. It felt good to scream.

The door slid open and footsteps came rushing in. “Sweetie? What are you doing in here?” It was Nerys. She sounded shocked and concerned.

Sweetie pulled her face off the pillow. “If he comes here again, I will cast a spell to incase him in stone and leave him there for the next ten eras!”

“I like your spirit.” Nerys walked into the room with a slight frown. “Who are you talking about?”

“Q! He was just here.”

Nerys nodded with understanding. “In that case, you might want to scream into the pillow a few more times.”

“If only that would help,” Sweetie grumbled. “He thinks we should turn around and give up on this whole endeavor.”

“Did he happen to mention why we should do that?” asked Nerys. Sweetie could hear the sharp tone in her voice.

“No.” Sweetie pulled herself off the bed. ‘He won’t send me home because it’s a game for him or something.”

“Of course it is!” Nerys spat. “It’s always some elaborate game! Sisko should have hit him harder. Not that it would have done any good…”

Sweetie laughed.

“The question is, what do you think we should do?” asked Nerys.

“Me?”

Nerys nodded.

“I get to decide?”

Nerys smiled. “It’s your mission. You get some say.”

Sweetie’s raised an eyebrow. “I-I don’t know.”

“Say what you think.” Nerys made an encouraging gesture.

“I-I think we should keep going. He gave me no reason to turn around, and I think we can handle what awaits us.”

Nerys held a fist in the air. “Yes! That’s the spirit.”

“Besides, there could be ponies trapped on this planet. We owe it to them—I owe it to them to say it’s going to be alright.”

Nerys smiled. “I like you, kid.”

“Even though I’m primitive?” asked Sweetie.

Nerys held out a hand. “Look, what I meant by that—”

“It’s okay.” Sweetie laughed. “I know what you meant. I was only teasing you.” Sweetie’s face went red.

Nerys gave a soft chuckle. “We underestimated—I underestimated you.”

“And I’m so far behind the curve here, it doesn’t feel like I took the hardest class at the university before taking the prereqs. No, it really feels like I skipped forward in time millions of eras to a place so far beyond anything I could imagine. Like I’m trapped in a crazy magic-fiction novel written by someone hitting the bottle a little too much.” Sweetie sighed. “I don’t know…”

“I can understand how overwhelming that must seem. This is a technological world we live in, but it’s not the end-all-be-all. The Bajoran people look to the Prophets for guidance. They were there for us in our darkest and hardest times, and they continue to watch over Bajor,” said Nerys.

“One of them spoke to me in the orb. They said this is where I am, and I must choose to walk the path before me.” Sweetie smiled and shook her head. “I think they told me the same thing Q did, but they weren’t jerks about it: there are no shortcuts or easy answers.”

Nerys beamed. “Yeah, we absolutely underestimated you. Give it some time learning our technology and you will be unstoppable.” Nerys laughed. “Trust me, Sweetie Belle, you are doing better than fine for being a few centuries out of date. One day at a time.”

Sweetie nodded. “One hoof at a time.” She hugged Nerys tight. “Thank you.”

“Hey, no problem, kid.” She returned Sweetie’s hug.

Sweetie made her way back to the front of the ship with clarity in her mind. Nerys was an interesting person she wanted to get to know better. She was nice, honest, and there was more than a little fire in her—uh-oh. Sweetie smiled and shook her head. “I have a type,” she muttered.

“Sorry, did you say something?” asked Jadzia as Sweetie took the empty seat next to her.

“Nothing,” she replied quickly. She looked down at the controls and various blinking lights on the console in front of her. It was incredible all of this was needed to make this machine work without magic… somehow. “Either Discord is a much bigger jerk than we all thought or Q is someone else entirety.”

She quickly recounted her friendly chat with Q.

“Very interesting,” said Jadzia. “Typical Q… his warnings shouldn’t be taken lightly, but if he didn’t elaborate, we don’t have much to go on.”

Sweetie shrugged. “We aren’t turning around. He can’t scare me or make me so mad that I scream into a pillow.”

Jadzia frowned as her eyes darted towards her.

“Okay, well, maybe not that last part,” Sweetie amended.

Jadzia laughed. “Hey it’s okay—” The console buzzed angry beeps. Jadzia’s attention was drawn to the screen in front of her as the ship started vibrating.

Sweetie gripped her chair as her heart started to race. The smooth ride was starting to feel like riding a wagon on a poorly maintained cobblestone road. Sweetie was jostled in all directions as she gripped her chair for dear life.

Nerys and Julian rushed in. “Report,” Nerys barked.

“Subspace fracturing. It’s interfering with our warp bubble. The Valos system is full of pockets of collapsed space and subspace.” Both of Jadzia’s hands were a blur as she worked two consoles simultaneously.

“How long until we reach the system?” asked Julian.

“We are there now. Taking us out of warp.”

Sweetie tightened her death grip on the chair as the stars in front of her slowed to stationary. To her relief, the ship stopped vibrating in the same instant.

“Course is laid in for the third planet,” said Jadzia.

Sweetie watched through the front window. For a while, it felt like nothing was happening. However, she noticed a star that was brighter than the others. As more time went by it grew in size and intensity. The star had a blue hue and glow around it.

Once the star grew to the size of a blue marble, she realized it wasn’t a star at all: it was the third planet. She had no idea planets could be so bright, but it made sense in her mind. The planet was reflecting the sun’s light at them.

Sweetie sat forward in her chair as she watched that marble grow on the screen. Everyone was bathed in the blue light emanating from the planet. As the light became too intense, Jadzia hit a button on her console which caused the ship to go dark. Sweetie blinked a few times as bright after-images obstructed her vision.

After Sweetie’s eyes adjusted, the planet no longer fit in the window. It was massive! All she could do was stare in awe at the deep blues and greens, and the swirls of white that warped around the planet.

“Sensors indicate this is an uninhabited M-Class planet,” said Julian. “I’m not detecting any humanoid life signs.”

“What about pony life signs?” asked Sweetie as she continued to gaze upon the dazzling blue planet.

“Indeterminate,” he replied. “I’m reading elevated levels on tetryons on the southern continent. If any ponies are here, that would be where I suggest we start our search.”

“Alright,” said Nerys. “Doctor, any concerns before beaming down on this planet?”

“Everything checks out. Background radiation is within acceptable levels. I’m not reading anything unusual except for the tetryons.”

“I’m bringing us into a synchronous orbit with the southern continent,” said Jadzia. “I won’t be able to beam us directly to the site. There's too much interference, but I can get us within five kilometers of the focal point.”

“How are we getting down there?” asked Sweetie. They were now so close, she could see the land mass they were synchronized with.

“Well, it’s a method of transportation you might be familiar with.” Jadzia winked.

Sweetie frowned. “Don’t tell me you have a non-magical teleporter.”

“That’s exactly what we have,” she replied with a smile. “It can send us great distances in an instant. Similar to how you teleport yourself… however, I doubt you use the same principles of converting matter to a pattern of data then back to matter…” Jadiza mused.

Sweetie nodded slowly. “Um, sure?”

Jadzia laughed. “Alright, we are ready to beam down now.” She pulled a curious elongated and curved item out from under the console in front of her and stuck it to the side of her uniform. She then folded up a tricorder and put it in a pocket on the other side of her uniform.

Sweetie frowned. “Is that thing a weapon?”

Jadzia placed a hand over the device. “Standard procedure when beaming down on an unknown planet.”

“But… but you said no one was down there, right?” Sweetie looked from Jadzia to Julian, and then to Nerys.

“I said no humanoid life signs could be detected and other life signs were indeterminate,” said Julian. He too added a weapon to his uniform. “That’s different than what might actually be down there.”

Sweetie gulped. “Well…” she said as a sudden wave of anxiety washed over her. “I know a few things too.” She pointed to her horn.

“I wouldn’t worry too much,” added Nerys. “The worst we are going to encounter are some nasty bugs.”

Sweetie shrugged. She hoped they were right. Still, the sight of everyone armed was unsettling.

“Major Kira and I will go down first. Then we will call up for you and Doctor Bashir to follow,” said Jadzia.

Nerys and Jadzia stepped onto the glass platform Sweetie made note of at the beginning of her journey.

“Computer, energize,” said Nerys. A beam of bright blue light surrounded them as the floor glowed. A second later, they were gone, and the platform was dark.

“Interesting,” said Sweetie. “That sent them all the way to the surface?”

“It did,” said Julian. “Transporters have impressive range, but we are near the extent of that range in this synchronized orbit.”

“I don’t know of any pony who could teleport that distance. I’m not sure even Celestia could do it…” Sweetie trailed off. She couldn’t remember a time when Celestia teleported anywhere, but she always assumed she could. “Maybe.”

“Celestia,” Julian mused, “she’s the ruler of your country?”

Sweetie nodded. “She’s also a goddess and eternal. No pony can match her raw power, but she wields it with grace and dignity.”

“Well, I certainly wouldn’t want to cross her,” said Julian. “I wonder though, why does she rule a country if she is a goddess as you say. Wouldn’t she rule the whole planet?”

Sweetie shrugged. It was a good question. A question she never considered. Why didn’t Celestia and Luna rule Equus? Did they cede power so other nations could make their own choices?

The comm beeped. “Dax to Bashir. You two are cleared to transport down.”

“Acknowledged,” he replied. He looked to Sweetie. “Ready?”

“Yeah.” Sweetie stepped onto the transporter. “How does this work? Do I just stand here?”

“Yep. Hold still.” Julian smiled. “Computer, energize.”

Her surroundings dissolved as a bright blue light engulfed her. There was a brief moment of blackness and then bright sunlight. There was warmth on her back and fresh air. The smooth glass under her hooves was replaced with warm and gritty soil.

Sweetie took a deep breath as her eyes adjusted to the light. She almost forgot what fresh air felt like. She was standing on a giant open and flat piece of land. There were no trees or grass or… anything. In the distance, hazy blue mountains surrounded them in every direction. Despite how barren it was, Sweetie thought it was fantastic! Simply feeling sunlight and warmth was something she had taken for granted.

“Sweetie! Over here!” Nerys called out.

She had been standing there basking in the sunlight like an idiot while the others were already walking. She broke into a trot. Her stiff leg protested a little, but probably more from lack of movement than any remaining injury. Sweetie smiled as she lunged forward into a fast canter. It felt good to move, to have the wind in her face, and her mane fanning out without a care. Her saddlebags fit so well that they didn’t move from her sudden acceleration. She couldn’t care less about the choppy and uneven ground or lack of scenery.

“This is great!” Sweetie skidded to a halt beside Nerys and kicked her hind legs behind her.

Jadzia laughed.

Jadzia, Nerys, and Julian talked at length about scans and unusual readings. Sweetie tuned it out after a while and returned to sightseeing while keeping pace with them. One thing was certainly unusual about their location: The ground was getting more difficult to walk over. It wasn’t rocky per se, but it was like it was torn up in some way. It also appeared… charred. Maybe this planet had weird soil?

The mountains loomed in all directions. They were relatively flat, more like plateaus than rugged mountains. Maybe they were in a valley or a dried-up lakebed?

“We’re getting closer. Elevated tetryons are all around us. One point two kilometers,” said Jadzia. She turned slightly while staring at the tricorder. “This way.”

Sweetie felt an uneasiness creep up. At first, she thought it was the sun; it was pretty warm after all. However, the feeling became all too familiar the more they walked. She looked to Jadzia, who was still intent on her scanning, then to Nerys, who met her eyes.

“Something the matter?” she asked.

Sweetie shook her head. She couldn’t risk ruining the mission now; they were so close.

Jadzia looked up from her tricorder. “Sweetie, are these tetryons affecting you?”

Sweetie looked from Jadzia to Nerys. “A little, but I’m fine.”

“Okay, but don’t use any abilities or, um, spells. I don’t know what will happen if you do.”

Sweetie gave a nod. “Okay.”

Julian gave Jadzia a concerned glance.

By the time they arrived, Sweetie was fighting to keep her mind focused. The ringing in her ears was so loud she struggled to hear what Jadzia was saying, and even worse, she was having trouble interpreting her words.

“The center,” said Neryse. “So this is where it hit. Let’s have a look around.”

“I’m checking for hoofprints,” said Jadzia. “Tracking them the old-fashioned way might be the only way if ponies are here.”

“Maybe… they went… to those mountains,” Sweetie muttered. Even speaking was difficult.

“Sweetie… those aren’t mountains,” said Jadzia.

“Huh? So… uh…” Sweetie trailed off. Speaking was too difficult.

“I think we have to get out of here,” said Julian. “Her life signs are starting to destabilize. I don’t know how much longer she can stay here.”

“I agree,” said Nerys. “Dax, I’m reading a build-up of tetryons. They are going to destabilize at any second.”

Jadzia shook her head. “I don’t understand. There shouldn’t be a rapid build-up like this.”

“We can beam out safely in a few minutes if we hurry,” said Julian as he broke into a quick-paced walk.

In that second, as Sweetie turned to follow Julian, she caught a glimpse of something. Right before her eyes, a darkness. She shook her head. As she attempted to move again, a shadow moved in front of her again.

“Sweetie!” Jadzia called. “We have to go! Now!”

She stared into the shadow; it was familiar, comforting in some unusual way. As she strained her eyes to get a better look, something clicked in her mind that they were never going to make it out in time. She had to act!

Sweetie broke into a full-blown gallop. Her hooves echoed in her ears as she ran, and her head felt detached from her body. She pushed through her disorientation. “Run!” She concentrated with all her might as she aimed her spell. She knew it worked the second she felt the sudden air resistance on her face. She squinted her eyes so she could still see where they were going. The ground below her was a blur.

Moments later, the ground shook and the extreme heat at her back told her the worst had happened. Even with accelero, she didn’t think they could outrun the explosion. Overcome with desperation and recklessness, she concentrated on another spell. It was her last card to play. It was this or nothing. She focused on the mountain rapidly approaching in front of her. Hopefully, it was tall enough.

Her magic took hold. In a flash of green light, all four of them tumbled onto soft green grass. Sweetie jumped to her feet only to be knocked over again by the force of the explosion. Luckily the shockwave was the only part that reached them on top of the plateau.

“What in the blazes happened?” asked a panting Julain.

“I feel like I was squeezed through a trash compactor,” Nerys groaned as she got to her feet. She immediately fell over again. “Or maybe I’ll just sit here for a minute.”

Sweetie sat on her haunches next to Nerys. “Sorry,” she panted. “I used some very powerful magic to get us out of there.”

“Powerful indeed,” said Jadzia. “I’ve never seen a humanoid run that fast. We were running faster than a hovercraft. And then… is that what teleportation feels like for you every time?”

“No,” Sweetie sighed. “That was a mass teleportation spell. It didn’t feel great for me either. Not bad for my first time using it.”

Julian’s jaw dropped. “First time?”

“Yeah.” Sweetie exhaled. “I was desperate. And I felt like I could cast it. So I did. I’m just glad this mountain blocked all of that fire.”

“Sweetie, you do realize that we are not on a mountain, right? Why do you think the ground is all torn up and blackened at the center?” asked Jadzia.

Sweetie frowned. The only thing she could remember from the center was the shadow thing.

“It is an impact crater created by the tetryons.”

Sweetie walked to the edge and looked out over the area below. There was no mistaking it from this angle. It was a giant crater, and the ground below was completely scorched. Her jaw dropped as she felt it in the pit of her stomach.

“If this is what it did to this place, then what happened on Equus? In Equestria? Forget Sweet Apple Acers, five whole Ponyvilles could fit in this hole.

“This is what Q didn’t want me to see.”

“Sweetie, what are you talking about?” asked Jadzia.

Sweetie lowered her head as she felt an emptiness in her. “It’s time for me to accept the fact that Ponyville is gone. Wiped off the map. Everyone is either dead or displaced in the galaxy.”

“Sweetie—”

“Don’t tell me I don’t know that!” she cut across. “We’ve seen the destructive force of this phenomenon. We’ve seen how magic interacts with it. There’s nothing to go back to.”

Jadzia took a seat next to her but said nothing.

Q said she would be much happier living out her life on DS9. Now, that felt like the only option. She would have to learn technology and find a way to be useful. She doubted she could live in Jadzia’s quarters doing nothing forever.

She would never see her parents, Rarity, or her friends ever again. Gone was the quaint little village of Ponyville with its rustic charm. She lamented the loss of it all, but more than anything else she regretted leaving so many things unfinished. She regretted not asking Apple Bloom out and she regretted not telling Rarity or her parents enough how much she loved them. But the worst part was, she couldn’t decide if it was better that they died or were lost in some unknown part of the universe.

“Do we go back to the spaceship?” asked Sweetie after a long silence.

“I suppose so,” said Jadzia in a soft reply.

“Hold on,” said Julian. “I think we should go back for another look.” He held up his hand as everyone turned to give him a look. “Look, the tetyrons are gone. They’ve all been destroyed. My guess is they will be back, but we have time.”

Sweetie shrugged. “If it won’t make me feel sick or see crazy things…” she mumbled. She didn’t see the point, but she also didn’t care.

Jadzia picked up her tricorder. “You’re right, Julian. There’s nothing. We can beam right to the center. I’m sending the coordinates to the Mekong’s computer now.”

As Jadzia and Julian worked, Nerys placed a hand on Sweetie’s shoulder. “I know what you’re feeling,” she said. “I’ve been there myself.”

Sweetie shook her head. “There’s not even an occupying force to get mad at and fight. All I feel is… defeat.”

“You don’t want that anger, Sweetie. Trust me. All I can say is, hold onto what little hope there is. Ponyville still exists in here.” She placed a hand over Sweetie’s chest. “Hold it there tight, don’t let go, and never give up.”

Sweetie nodded.

“Okay, are we ready?” asked Jadzia. Everyone nodded in response. “Mekong’s transporter has locked on. Energizing.”

For the second time, Sweetie watched the scenery around her dissolve only for a completely different scene to appear before her seconds later.

The ground was charred and hot under her hooves. The dirt made an unsettling crunch with each step. However, Sweetie was relieved to be experiencing no unusual symptoms.

“I’m going to scan for organic residue. There’s a good chance most of it was destroyed in that last explosion, but perhaps under the soil will be something I can find.” Julian was squatted and sifting through the dirt as he scanned every micro hoof length of ground.

“Tetyons are emanating out of subspace,” said Jadzia. “It’s like there’s a hole right here. I’m detecting the signal too.”

Sweetie looked to where Jadzia was scanning. There was something there, she was certain. It was beyond her vision. It was almost ghostly whisps so faint they may have been tricks of light reflecting off dust particles.

She walked closer. What was that? Was it really there? The shape was hard to make out. She supposed it resembled a pony. A very tall pony. “Do you see that?” she asked while pointing.

“See what?” asked Nerys.

“This shadowy shape right in front of me. It’s very faint.”

Nerys shrugged, “I don’t see anything.”

“It’s pony-shaped… I think.” Sweetie walked closer. “Maybe I can make it brighter.” Her horn lit up, casting a bring light directly on it.

Sweetie's head exploded with the high-pitched sound. It was more intense than she had ever heard it before. She shut her eyes and cried out in agony as her head spun. She couldn’t break the spell. Something had latched onto her magic and was pulling her into darkness.

She forced her eyes open and gasped. Right in front of her was a tall, dark blue pony with a flowing blue mane. The pony was translucent. There, but also not there. The eyes were bright white as the pony reached a hoof forward. Sweetie’s body vibrated with warmth and energy as the hoof passed through her body. The world spun around her as it went dark.