1Bit

Solar frowned as Scarlett ordered them to sit in the shuttle, and she gave her a tight hug before she left the ship.

 

"I love you mom," she whimpered, nearing tears again, and sniffled, "I really wanted us to get closer, but... I'm happy I at least got to meet you one time..."

"Hey, hey, come here..." Amber cooed softly, wrapping her hooves around Solar from behind and softly stroking a hoof through her mane. "It's gonna be alright, okay? I know it's hard to think about, but we'll make things work." The pegasus re-assured her marefriend, with a warm smile across her face as she soaked in Solar's beauty. "Ponies may have butted heads quite a few times, but Scarlett was still a strong leader. And, a loving mother." Amber carefully placed a kiss on top of Solar's head and continued to squeeze her tightly.

Solar tried to look stern in the face of her marefriend... but she couldn't do it. She was powerless against the puppy-dog eyes. "Oh c'mon," she chuckled, returning a kiss to Amber's lips. "Don't gimme that face. I'm sorry, I know you didn't mean it. You're not like that, right?"

"Of course not! I know that sometimes I may be a little flirty, I know that sometimes I can act...odd, but please believe me, that I only...exclusively love you and you only." Amber gave Solar a warm smile, bringing her marefriend into a warm and fluffy cuddle. "And, if we make it out of this hellish landscape, I'll be able to prove it to you even more." 

Solar sighed and couldn't help but smile wider from Amber snuggling up to her and kissing her muzzle. How can she ever doubt a mare as sweet as her?

 

She waited to see if Sapphire was out of earshot before leaning on her marefriend's shoulder and muttering, "Just... it's my job to flirt with you." She smiled a bit.

Amber's face drained when she realised what Solar was talking about. "Oh jeez, sorry Solar. I-I didn't think about what was being said, I didn't mean a-anything when I was being all flirty, honestly!" She replied through a panicked whisper. Her heart had quickened in pace, as anxiety got the better of her. "It's just something I used to do a lot, I g-guess that old habits die...hard. Or something." The pegasus' lower lip trembled and she looked up at her marefriend with puppy dog eyes.

Solar couldn't help but feel a little better at hearing Amber was healed, which helped fuel her smile as she looked up at her marefriend. "Y-yeah," she muttered, giving a little sniff of her nose, "I'm fine, babe. Glad that you are too."

"Oh really? Well, I know you Solar, and you look the opposite of 'fine' right now." Amber snuggled up close to her, cooing softly, to take her own mind off the horrible events conspiring as much as Solar's. "I know you're bothered by something, and I know that something is probably me. So please tell me, babe. Don't hide anything from me, yeah?" She continued, smiling warmly at the pegasus and securing the statement with a brief kiss on her muzzle. 

@@1Bit,

 

"Is this not working yet it should be it's just a simple break of cartridge, not a bone or somthing." She kept the spell up for some more time. "This has got to be working now, you feeling better you should be sore but the pain should be gone now, otherwise I will have to...somthing my spell book is not that big."  

Amber could feel everything clear a bit, and the pain in her muzzle was not nearly as heavy as it once was. The pegasus could even move it slightly, suggesting the healing was beginning to work. Luckily it wasn't anything major, otherwise it could have been a major setback. "Thanks again Sapphire. I could pay you, but I literally have nothing to pay you with." She grinned, turning her attention back to Solar for some cuddles or possibly better. "Solarrr~ guess who's muzzle you can boop again." The moment Amber's eyes lay on her marefriend she noticed something a bit off. "Solar? You okay there, babe?" She asked. 

@@1Bit,

 

"Don't get your feathers in a twist I have to see what's wrong first." A few more moments pass. "Your broke your nose, easy fix, especially compared to the previous injuries, I think I want paying after this, this is three times I have fixed you up now Amber." Her horn lit up again as she attempted to repair the damage. 

"Aww, isn't getting to see me not good enough for a payment anymore?" Amber giggled through the constant groans and grunts of pain. She didn't know why, but the pain just seemed to come in waves, her head pulsating and making her feel sick. "Okay, enough talk...I think that makes it hurt more. Ow."

@@1Bit,@@Unicorncob,  

 

Sapphire put the crying Crystal down and looked back to hear some words for a doctor. "Well I guess that would be me then?" Sapphire walked back to find that again it was yet again Amber had another injury, she bent down to her. "You like hurting yourself to see me don't you Amber? I mean just come out and say it if you like, like me." Sapphire giggled, a small bit of happiness in this situation. "Now hold still lass I'll get you fixed up." Sapphire's horn yet again lit up with a healing spell...  

"Who knows? I do get hurt quite frequently...thank goodness there's such a lovely mare like you to help me in my hour of need." Amber gave her a wry smirk, but her demeanour quickly changed again as pain shot through her muzzle once more. "So, uh, yeah, fix it and all that. Whatever you unicorns do. Chop chop."

Lightning got into the shuttle alongside Amber and Solar. "Sapphire, a little help? Amber's not doing too well right now." He turned to the two marefriends. "How you feeling, Amber? By the way, nice hustle, Solar."

"Uh, well it hurts definitely." Amber chuckled weakly, but it just elicited another groan from her as the pain in her muzzle seemed to flame up again. She tried to hold it with a hoof, looking back at Solar and Lightning. "But, t-thanks you two. I wouldn't have made it trying to crawl all the way back here. Feels like Celestia is frowning upon me at this moment in time...so much bad luck."

A loud mouth.....always wanna talk rough and tough, I'm not taking this shit anymore.

 

Storm, keeping a calm aura about him, trotted right up to the Pegasus getting nose to nose with him . He began to talk.

 

"Who am I? I'm the fucked-up, beat-up, former slave that's gonna crush you up if you don't shut the fuck up. Also I'm guessing you're the donkey-fucker who wants that little demonstration I was talking about early right?"

 

He still retain his chilled-back vibe throughout the threat, almost as if he was bored with his words.

"See? This is what I'm talking about!" Comet exclaimed, throwing his hooves up in exasperation. "I literally said nothing, and you just go off on me like that! Sweet Celestia, it's like you want to fight or something..." The pegasus sighed, turning around on Quiet and looking up towards the mountain, deep in thought. After a brief pause, he turned back to her. "So you were a slave? Raiders or prison? I don't recognise you, so I doubt it's one of the ones I cleared out."

@@Meson Bolt, @@1Bit,

 

Quiet grew frustrated, this argument was cringe-worthy to him. With both ponies flex muscles trying to prove how "hard" they both were, it eventually got to much for him and Quiet spoke up.

 

"How about this, shut the fuck up and at least TRY to co-exist. Or I'll kill BOTH of you, we don't have time for these petty arguments. Now are we clear or do you need a demonstration?"

"Well, I have no idea who you are, but it seems kinda contradictory to talk about co-existing right before threatening to kill me. Perhaps you should think a bit before opening your pretty little mouth, alright?" Comet smirked, turning his attention to Quiet with calm eyes. He sighed, looking over the mare with calm eyes. "I've said before I'm not here to cause a fight. Sure, turns out a certain somepony wanted to butt heads, but whatever."

"I am not leaving you behind!" Solar growled, nudging herself beneath Amber and hoisting her into her back, "There. This suit is making me a lot stronger than usual, so don't worry about that. Now c'mon, we've got a shuttle to catch."

 

She began a quick but careful walk, making sure Amber stayed balanced on her back.

Everything was pretty much a blur at that stage to Amber. She could make out the drowned shouting from who she thought was Lightning, but the sudden movements and speed at which she was travelling, increased her dazed state tenfold. Her lips opened and closed in soundless sentences, muttering small inaudible phrases as a weak hoof held her muzzle. She could still feel the pain, but it had been dumbed down slightly as the minutes went by.

"Sweet Celestia...back in this s-situation again. Needing to be rescued..."

Solar had slumped onto the ground, totally void of hope, until she heard the door back the way they came whirring open.

 

"Oh thank you mom! I'm so sorry!" She whined, and galloped back to Amber to help her up, "C'mon, we gotta get back to the others! We can't go this way!"

Amber tried to get up with the help of her marefriend, but her hooves slipped out from underneath her and she fell flat to the floor again with a groan. Drips of blood splashed on the cool metal and it only aggravated Amber more. "S-Solar, I don't think I c-can move too easily..." She admitted, looking up at Solar with a terrified expression. "That smash really took it out of me."

"Amber!" She yelped, lowering down to get eye-level with her marefriend, "Are you okay? Here, lemme get that." She smiled and planted a little kiss on her snout.

 

She got up and tapped the door, her good mood dropping ice cold as she realised they were trapped in the hallway. "No, no... oh no no NO!"

 

Mom, she must have done this...

 

"Oh Celestia..."

"I-I think my muzzles broken..." Amber whimpered, trying to regain her composure. She had no chance of getting up, her head dizzy and in pain from the collision with the heavy, metal door. She tried to take deep breaths which only came out as shaky as she tried to fight back tears from the pain. "Sweet Celestia..."

"W-was that your friggin' mom's doing?"

"Don't worry Solar, we'll save the ship. Save the ponies. And things'll turn out okay--" Before Amber could continue she was interrupted by the door directly in front of her slamming shut directly in her face. A worringly loud crack could be heard as her muzzle hit the door directly, as she had little chance to break as it suddenly appeared in front of her mid-gallop. She fell to the floor, clutching her muzzle in pain and groaning quietly to herself. 

Solar was heartbroken at seeing how... well, broken Scarlett looked. She wasn't crying, but she could tell she wanted to.

Wasting no more time, she grabbed her mother in a hug, resting her chin on her shoulder. "I don't want you to freak out, but..."

 

She looked her mother in the eyes and spoke, quickly and almost impossible to get, "Me and Amber are gonna go to the lower areas with less air to find a way to power the ship we won't take long but if we don't get back take somepony and get out of here I love you so much mom!"

 

With a quick kiss on her cheek, she sped off toward the hallway.

"Oh sweet Celestia...!" Amber barely had time to register that her marefriend had gone, scrambling about before giving chase down the hallway after her. Her hooves loudly clammered against the metal plates, and her panting echoed against the steel walls, but she pressed onwards, chasing after Solar. "So..is there...a...plan?" She tried to say through gasping breaths. It seemed coming off a drug addiction did little to help fitness.

Solar sighed and shook her head. As sad as it was, Amber was right. Scarlett would try to stop her from finding a way below.

 

"I know, but I have to do something," she argued softly, putting her hoof on her shoulder, "Please, get down to the shuttle... Selene, if I'm not back in time, you can take my place."

"No. No way am I letting you go alone and you know it. I'm sticking with you through thick and thin, Solar." Amber gave her a quick kiss on the cheek, with a half-smile forming on her lips. "And you know there ain't no way that you're going to dissuade me either. We'll do our best to fix this mess, for better, or for worse."

"That's another who believes in me," she smirked a bit, with a weak punch to the air, and then looked around for Scarlett.

"No, no! Wait!" Amber squeaked, grabbing Solar's head with her hooves to focus all of the mare's attention on her. "We can't tell your mother!" She whispered. "You know as well as me, she'll just try to stop us, play down your plan and just drag us down to that shuttle. We tell her, and we won't get anything done." It was a sad truth, but it was still a truth.  

Selene's eyes light up with hope as you say that, a wave of golden yellow washing over her skin as the ear-like 'nubs' on her head perk up with excitement. "R-really? You're gonna figure out how to turn the ship around?~"

She waits eagerly for your reply, her tail swaying behind her.

Amber paused, unsure of what to reply with. The girl seemed so innocent, so ready to accept even the faintest hint of hope; the pegasus was afraid to promise her anything with the fear of letting her down. "L-look, I don't want to make any promises. We barely know anything about technology as it is. But I guess we're too stubborn to just accept these things." Amber put on a brave face, weakly smirking at Selene and keeping her marefriend close. "We'll see what we can do, alright? But please don't get your hopes up. I doubt we can do much for the ship..."

"Check oxygen supply," Solar muttered to the suit, and a little window showed up on the helmet's HUD, "Okay, this thing has self-sustaining oxygen... huh?"   She looked at Amber. "I want to see if there's a way to power up the ship, by going to the areas with almost no oxygen. I don't feel right leaving everypony to die like this. I have to at least try."

"Solar...I don't think that's going to help. I know you want to fix things, but I doubt we have time or the knowledge to fix anything at this point." Amber sighed, slowly placing a wing over her marefriend.  

Selene looks at you a bit curiously as you start getting dressed, her skin turning the slightest tint of orange as she finally gets close enough. "... Hello, there. Are you guys stuck here, too?..." She holds out her hand, to shake. "My name's Selene... What are yours'?"

Amber looked at Selene and felt that pang of guilt build up inside of her again. Was she really going to leave such an innocent creature like this to die while she survived? She couldn't surely. "Well if you want help Solar, I'm up for trying as well." She added, turning back to her marefriend. "Maybe we can make a difference...something, anything..."

"Um, s-sorry Selene...my brain is scattered right now. This whole situation is just so horrible." Amber sighed, giving the creature a sideways glance but a warm smile to go with it. "I'm Amber by the way, since you asked. Amber Hearthstone. But no, we aren't stuck here it seems. However, me and Solar here aren't so happy to just leave. We're going to try and see what we can do to get the ship back on course with some power."

Solar watched as the girl from earlier practically limped toward them, looking incredibly tired. As if she had given up all hope.

 

...like everypony else.

 

She looked toward the door to the hallway, and her determined scowl became more real.

 

No. If there's a will, there's a way. Everypony is going to survive, and I'll do what I must to do it.

 

Wasting no more time, she activated the suit Scarlett gave to her and got into it.

 

"I need to check if this thing has an oxygen supply..."

Amber noticed her marefriend shuffling around to the side of her, which sparked her curiosity, and leading to her following Solar's movements. She spied the pegasus activating Scarlett's suit thing, and a number of thoughts began rushing through her mind. "Uh, Solar? Sweetie?" Amber spoke up from behind her. "What are you doing?"

" I'm sorry Solar. But you don't have a choice." My suit appeared out of thin air next to me, held in the air by my magic. It floated over and landed on Solars back. "Here, take my suit. It will protect you." I put on a faked grin and looked at Amber. "Now her sweaty suit can be yours."

"Scarlett, you can't just leave her like this. Please, she'll be heartbroken!" Amber could feel herself choking up again, breaking away from Solar to try and reason with Scarlett. "No suit, no gift, is going to replace a mother's love! As much as I would love her sweaty suit, this isn't how this works! Come with us..." 

Solar was nearly heartbroken at the sheer... empty look from her marefriend. She couldn't bear to see her like this.

 

"Amber," she whispered, returning the kiss to her lips, "I want you to do what will make you happy. I don't care what it is, I'll be here for you no matter what. I promised you I would."

"W-well, what I really want...is you. That's all I want." Amber sighed, weakly leaning on her marefriend for some kind of support as her strength failed her. "There's so much wrong with the universe, so I want to keep the one thing that's right with it as close to me as possible. And that's you Solar. I love you so much and you mean so much to me. W-We'll go on the shuttle..."

Solar couldn't help but smile at Amber's attempt to smile and boop her nose. She could tell her marefriend was scared to death, but she was trying to be strong for her. Just like she was back to her.   "I don't want to either..." She sighed and placed a weak kiss on her snout.

"I didn't mean to s-scare you...just the thought of all these ponies dying- I can't bear it. I can't bear it one bit." Amber whimpered, looking to her marefriend with tear-filled eyes and a look of...nothingness. Pure emptiness. As if her soul had been ripped from her. "I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Grow old with you. And if that means getting on the shuttle...I'll do it." She gave Solar a weak grin, followed by a calm and gentle kiss on the lips 

Seeing Amber break down into tears on her shoulder caused the lump in Solar's throat to grow as she tried to fight the urge to cry.

Amber truly was the greatest thing to ever happen to her, and the thought of losing her forever was busting her down.

 

She choked a sob as she nuzzled her marefriend's shoulder. "I-I love you too..."

Amber just froze there for what felt like hours. Her eyes shut tight and her tears meandering down her cheeks in waves. Sudden thoughts seemed to rush to her, memories of her and Solar together, laughing, smiling, kissing...a happy, amazing relationship. She lifted her head weakly and could see her marefriend trying to hold back tears as well. Through sniffles, Amber tried to smile, weakly booping Solar's nose. But the gesture just made it worse, and she broke down crying again.

"I-I don't want to die....I don't want to..." She whimpered. "I don't want t-to lose you either..."

Solar grabbed her marefriend into a tight hug. "I would do so much for you, even if it cost me my life. If you're going to stay here for your final hours, then I'm going to spend them with you. But you have so much to live for, Amber. You're so much more than you think you are. You're the greatest thing to ever happen to me, and I want you to share life with me."

 

She looked into Amber's eyes, her own bloodshot and teary as she tried to put on her determined scowl, but couldn't muster it. "But, I can't force you to do anything."

Amber could barely speak, her breath taken away at Solar's statement. She slowly, weakly approached her marefriend, before suddenly, and finally, breaking down into tears. She rested her head on Solar's shoulder as she sobbed her heart out into Solar's fur. The whole situation was just too much for her and she felt weak at the knees, her wings drooping at her sides. "I-I...I love you so, so much."