Chapters
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"We're here."Those words settled on Mira like a great weight, momentarily threatening to crush her beneath their influence. All they had sacrificed to come here—the lives of marines, of the captain of this ancient vessel. The ship itself had decayed in the interim, its alien hull now cankered with rust and lower levels flooded.Now at last she knew why Captain Yi had been so reticent to agree to this mission—he had known as she did not what it would cost his men. He had done it anyway, even sacrificing…-
87.2 K •
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Event Horizon woke up for the first time on the Starship Enchiridion. She knew where she must be before she opened her eyes—knew from how many legs were tucked under her, from the gentle whirring of the air-recyclers, the magical hum of the gravity plates, and the distant rumble of the ship's Friendship Drive. It worked. I'm actually here! She felt a surge of such incredible excitement that she couldn't remain in bed, no matter how comfortable and relaxing her environment. Years looking at the…-
6.9 K •
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Ocellus took no joy in deceiving others.There were many—mostly ponies who had been harmed in the ill-fated Canterlot invasion—who still thought that changelings were creatures born of deceit, with no desire towards honesty. She had grown all her life hearing the whispers of her own inherent, irresistible corruption.Even in the era of spaceflight, she knew there were still some creatures back home who would always see her that way. It would take generations for those old views of changelings as…-
38.0 K •
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The boat barely rocked beneath Amie by the faint light of dawn. The lake water was crystal smooth, like a single sheet of glass not yet broken by wind or recreational swimmers. Her nesting place was similarly comfortable, tucked inside the sleeping bag with Tailslide beside her. She no longer smelled much like a bat anymore—but she also didn't want to.She lay there for a little while, feeling the rocking boat beneath her, and listening to the songs of morning birds. Her bat body wanted to keep sleeping,…-
195.0 K •
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Derek could barely think through the aching in her head long enough to focus on the world around her. If she relaxed for even a second, the incongruous feelings of her body would return to assault her, with legs that were too long, hands that weren't there when she expected them, ears that somehow moved her hair around when her emotions grew a little too strong.Even worse, she had Charlie right beside her, putting constant pressure on her to solve this. She was the one who had got them into this mess, she…-
170.4 K •
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Bit was not alone for long—only a few seconds. There were pounding hoof falls behind her, and Pathfinder appeared, catching up with her. "Then I'm going too! The Union might think I'm too unpredictable to lead a trade, but that doesn't mean I can't help in other ways. How can we really know we got everything worth taking from the palace if nobody comes back?"He hesitated, retreating a few steps closer to her as they climbed. "I just hope you're sure, or I'll die too. And if that sounds like a reason to…-
67.7 K •
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Hayden’s search for a mirror paid dividends in very short order. The tower had a bathroom, though like everything else it was built to a medieval standard. That meant it was part of the same room as the bedroom, with a woven screen to separate it and nothing else. The rest of the facilities were… similarly primitive, betraying an underlying ignorance of sanitation and hygiene.What I could do with a handful of general contractors and a trip to the Home Depot… but there were no general contractors…-
141.3 K •
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Dear Journal,We know now.Okay, maybe I should rephrase that. We know whether the “people” we saw were hostile. Or… we have a better idea? All of this is so freakin’ confusing. I want to go back to being a mechanic. Life was easy and safe then. I knew what I was doing, I knew I wasn’t going to hurt anybody by accident.We’re playing with fire here, and we’re not the only ones who pay if we lose. The future generations of tiny, helpless, horsebeasts will pay too. Though it’s probably for the…-
105.4 K •
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Time got weird when you were an animal. Even to a mage like Lyra, who spent days at a time with paws or hooves or wings, the strange attenuation of conscious focus never failed to confuse her. Her cat self was neither interested nor comfortable during the bumpy drive back to the Sanctum, so she was barely awake for it. Her familiar gave her the occasional protective lick, stretching his larger size around her. That kept her heart calm enough that she could bury the urge to find some way to flee.Simply…-
98.0 K •
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Mira woke in her familiar repose.She should be used to the transition by now—but this was the first time she'd ever done it intentionally. There was no confusion and disorientation that came from "dying" and returning to life. She sat up, waking from her sleep as she'd done so many times before.Her relaxation lasted all of five seconds, when she realized two-dozen bats were staring at her.Somepony dropped an offering plate, scattering bits to the floor. Night, wearing an overly elaborate recreation of…
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87.2 K •
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