BiE 82: Gift Wrapped.


                                            =BiE 82=


                                            >Year 1486 in Equestria.

                                            >It was also Mous's birthday.

                                            >You were standing outside on the main deck as the ship slowly sailed through the sky.

                                            >The deckhands around you were more than a bit nervous.

                                            >You couldn't blame them, The Breach was a fairly un-routine place.

                                            >The sound was what did most p0nies in, that faint singing sound echoing in the wind.

                                            >Some thought it was sirens, or some sort of magical resonance from The Breach.

                                            >It sounded like a church choir to you.

                                            >You walked over to the edge of the deck next to a particularly edgy deckhand. "Nervous, son?"

                                            >He snaps to attention as he sees you. "Sir! I...guess you could say that."

                                            >He looked off the edge of the ship. "You hear the stories about this place, p0nies telling you that you're mad for coming this far...seeing it I start to think they're not far off."

                                            >You look over the edge of the ship with him.

                                            >The Breach was the place in Equestria where science went to go fuck itself.

                                            >Your view was dominated by floating landmasses and continents.

                                            >Off in the horizon you could see the pink glow from all of Equestria's leylines coming together a little past your destination.

                                            >The water underneath you rippled away from itself from the tear in the world at the sea floor.

                                            >You turn back to the deckhand. "Don't worry. The Breach puts on a big show, but I came through here years ago without even a scent of trouble."

                                            >He looks a bit more relaxed at your words. "Nothing, huh?"

                                            >You shake your head. "Not a damn thing."

                                            >He grows a small smile. "Schway."

                                            >Your brain cracks a bit at his words. "Schway"?"

                                            >The boy smiles. "Yeah, the Logician has been saying it all voyage. I guess it caught on."

                                            >He didn't...

                                            >"Excuse me, son."


                                            >You stomped down the corridor of your ship and threw open the door to Mous's room.

                                            >"Yeah, don't knock or anything. Not like I could be-"

                                            >"SCHWAY?"

                                            >A devilish grin immediately grows on his face. "Which one was it?"

                                            >"ONE OF MY DECKHANDS."

                                            >Mous jumps up from his set. "Oh good! I'll have to give him a bit for using it."

                                            >"What are you doing?" You ask disbelievingly.

                                            >"Making a trend!" He says with a smile. "I figure I can get all of Canterlot saying it within the next five or so years."

                                            >You bury your face in your palm. "Mous, this is..."

                                            >Stupid.

                                            >Inane.

                                            >Fetishistic.

                                            >"Schway?"

                                            >You look up and glare at him. "It's schwarbage."

                                            >"It's been a thousand years! About time we got some new slang terms."

                                            >"Not from a cartoon."

                                            >Mous walks to his chair. "Oh, you're no fun."

                                            >"Besides, I don't know what you expected me to do, you've kept me on this boat for a week. Why do we need to go all the fuck the way out here for a birthday present?" He says.

                                            >He'd change his tune...

                                            >"It only works here." You say.

                                            >Mous brings a hand to his chin. "Is it a spaceship?"

                                            >"No."

                                            >"A robot?"

                                            >"No, dude."

                                            >"A spaceship robot?"

                                            >You give him a deadpan look. "I promise that your gift will be wonderful and excellent and that you won't be able to guess it."

                                            >Mous leans back. "Well that's no fun."

                                            >"Not for you, anyway."

                                            >"How much longer until we get there, anyway?"

                                            >You do some math in your head. "At current speed and where I figure we are, I'd say about a half hour."

                                            >Mous pouts. "Bet you didn't even wrap it."


                                            -Mous PoV-

                                            >You and Anon disembarked the ship alone.

                                            >He had said you wouldn't need the deckhands.

                                            >The two of you stood in a rather unassuming field of grass.

                                            >Apart from the fact that this continent was at the literal edge of the world and a stone's throw away from the source of all magic, it looked pretty normal.

                                            >"Where are we?"

                                            >Anon looks around with a smile. "Eden: The Original Landmass. Hidden up at the tip of the world and spawning every other landmass on the planet from its fertile shores."

                                            >You looked around. Pretty normal trees, normal mountains, normal lake way off in the distance.

                                            >"It looks like Montana."

                                            >You turn to Anon.

                                            >"So, why drag me all the way out here for my fifteen hundredth and third?"

                                            >Anon smiled and produced a small pulsating crystal from his pocket. "I've been working on something for a while...talking to some colleagues, working out the details, figuring out just what to do to make this work."

                                            >He smiles at you, that warm smile that was probably responsible for his last four spouses. "Well, I finished it. And I can't think of someone I would rather give it to then you."

                                            >"Anon...what the fuck are you talking about?"

                                            >Anon smirks and tosses the crystal past you.

                                            >An explosion of bring light and a wall of sound rushes past you as the crystal releases it's magics.

                                            >In the direction of the light, you can hear the sound of hooves clopping towards you.

                                            >"...Mous?"


                                            -Music: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vCKFeO3nNs-

                                            >No way...

                                            >That voice...

                                            >You look towards the light, more gentle and benevolent now then when it first came into being.

                                            >You dropped to your knees at the sight.

                                            >Same hair...same coat...just as you remembered...

                                            >She trots up to you and nuzzles your face with hers. "Hey, you..."

                                            >You wrap your arms around her.

                                            >"H-hey pretty pony..."

                                            >You can feel tears welling up in your eyes.

                                            >She was back. Lotus was back.

                                            >"Oh my god, oh my god..."

                                            >You kiss her neck as the tears fall down your face.

                                            >"H-how are you here?"

                                            >She rests her head on your shoulder, just like she used to. "I was told someone wanted to see me..."

                                            >She was...how-

                                            >You turn back to Anon.

                                            >"How long?"

                                            >Anon smiles at you. "Few minutes?"

                                            >You turn back and embrace Lotus again. It would do.

                                            >"I missed you."

                                            >"I missed you too."

                                            >This was...

                                            >"What's it like up there?" You ask.

                                            >Lotus rocks in your arms a bit. "Big, happy. You have a lot of old friends up there..."

                                            >You look down at the bracelet you were wearing.

                                            >"Your dad mad at me for taking so long?"

                                            >Lotus pulls away from you and smiles, she was still wearing her necklace.

                                            >"How could he be mad at his favorite son-in-law?" She says before giving you a peck on the lips.

                                            >That wasn't enough. You pulled Lotus back to your lips and let her embrace take away all the heartache you had in you once again.


                                            >Lotus pulls away from you and places her forehead against yours. "I think our time together is almost up again..."

                                            >"That's fine..."

                                            >She sniffs. "I wish I could see you again."

                                            >"You will."

                                            >Lotus looks into your eyes in confusion.

                                            >"Take a message to your boss, landlord, whatever. Tell them that when I eventually...go, that I'm gonna want in. No Pearly Gate's gonna stop me."

                                            >Lotus lets loose a small laugh through her own tears. "You'd break into Elysium on your own?"

                                            >You smirk.

                                            >"Of course. Who the hell do you think I am?"

                                            >Lotus laughs harder this time and wraps her hooves around your neck. "You're my completely mad husband...and I love you."

                                            >You bring your lips together one last time.

                                            >"I love you too."

                                            >Lotus turns back the way she came in response to some voice only she can hear.

                                            >She turns back to you with a tearful smile. "See you again?"

                                            >You reluctantly release her from your arms.

                                            >"Count on it, pretty pony."

                                            >Lotus smiles and trots back to the portal.

                                            >She stops at its edge and sends one more wave to the two of you.

                                            >This was...good.

                                            >You knew you would see her again.

                                            >You promised.

                                            >As Lotus finished waving, she stepped through the portal just in time for it to swallow itself.


                                            -Anon PoV-

                                            >Mous got off his knees as the portal shut itself.

                                            >He begins to walk over to you with his head down. "So, did you enj-"

                                            >"Shut the fuck up, Anon." He says as he wraps his arms around you.

                                            >This was...new.

                                            >Very new.

                                            >"Thank you...I don't know how you did it and I don't know how I could repay you, but thank you." He says.

                                            >You pat him on the back. "Don't thank me man, it was your birthday. What else was I supposed to do?"

                                            >He pulls away from you, his arms still on your shoulders. "Use it yourself? You have just as much use for it as me..."

                                            >You had considered that for a moment.

                                            >You shake your head. "This trick only works once, dude. I guess I could have seen Rainbow, or Thunder..."

                                            >His head droops a bit. "But I finished this and thought. "Who do I know that could use a visit from an old flame?", I really couldn't see myself using it any other way."

                                            >Mous chuckles. "You're a real bastard, ya know?"

                                            >He looks up at you. "Here I am trying to be the best friend ever and you go on and blow me out of the water like this."

                                            >You grin at him. "You do pretty well, yourself."

                                            >Mous lets go of you with the biggest genuine smile you've seen from him in a while. "Thanks man...for everything."

                                            >You give him a slap on the shoulder. "Any time."

                                            >The Delphinus floats in the air a ways away. "Ready to head back home?"

                                            >Mous wipes his eye and looks out with that smile. "Yeah, let's go."

                                            >"I have to get to work on the statue of you I have to make now, anyway." He says.