BiE 86: Stellar Science.


                                            =BiE 86=


                                            >Year 2480 in Equestria.

                                            >You and Mous were down in the Regulator chamber.

                                            >"Make sure that those surge protectors are evenly spaced out."

                                            >Mous grunts and drops the device on the ground. "What does that have to do with anything?"

                                            >"The magical resonance could trip one of the breakers if they're too close, we need that not to happen."

                                            >Mous hooks up the surge protectors like you told him to and retreats back to the main cables with you.

                                            >"Alright...protectors are on and ready, the power is flowing, let's just..."

                                            >You flip the master switch.

                                            >The regulator hiccups and begins to spin even faster and glow even brighter before eventually calming down.

                                            >Mous lowers his arms from in front of his face. "So...we did it?"

                                            >"That we did!"

                                            >"The leylines are hooked up now?"

                                            >You flip a few switches on the cables. "Told you fixing that leyline would pay off."

                                            >The additional power would help immensely.

                                            >"At least we won't black out Equestria now." Mous said.

                                            >Ehh..."Probably not."

                                            >You walk past Mous as his face drops to one of pure misery. "Great. I fucking love "probably's"."

                                            >You roll your eyes as you lead the two of you out into the ever setting sun.

                                            >"Come on, it's almost time and it's a long walk to the Arcanium."


                                            >Damn these wires, they cost more than your house.

                                            >The downside of creating a machine that subverted nature, you needed pure platinum wiring.

                                            >"Luna, could you hand me the hydrospanner?"

                                            >You feel the tool placed in your hand as you finish attaching this motor.

                                            >Mous continues to pace through the room and fill it with the echoes of his footfalls. "Could you hurry this up? I'm not comfortable standing next to this thing."

                                            >Nancy...

                                            >"Come on man, it's just a little nuclear fusion from the heart of the sun."

                                            >You poke your head out and look to Celestia. "Thanks for that, by the way."

                                            >The monarch gives a curt nod as you dive back into the bowels of your machine.

                                            >You set the last wire cluster into place.

                                            >Almost..."Done!"


                                            >You pull yourself out and close the hatch on the machine.

                                            >"Alright Anon, explain to me how this contraption works." Mous says.

                                            >The machine was about as tall as your waist, with an interior miniature of the planet, sun, and moon. Small numerals representing the months and days of the year were spread around the edge.

                                            >Below that were two rotating rings.

                                            >"It's simple in concept, large in scope. This, is the Orbital Tether, and I made it for one thing."

                                            >You turn to Mous. "To move the sun, moon, and stars."

                                            >Mous lets out a low whistle as you make your way around it.

                                            >"It sends out a magical lasso around both stellar bodies, using the Moonstones and Fusion reaction as a foothold."

                                            >You switch on the preliminary functions. "From there, the machine calculates the proper position for everything using a mechanical computer I made after pouring over astrological notes for the last three thousand years."

                                            >Mous just looks at you cross armed. "So, it makes it like it was on Earth?"

                                            >"Basically."

                                            >"Why didn't you just say that?"

                                            >"Oh, screw you."

                                            >He has no concept of drama sometimes...


                                            >You throw the switches on the Tether and start the turbines for the rings below.

                                            >The rings functioned as the focus, each charged with either solar or lunar magic and responsible for actually moving the sun or moon.

                                            >You flip on the calculator and walk to the main power switch.

                                            >"Luna, if you could get the window please?"

                                            >The window of the Arcanium attic is pushed open with a magical aura, letting in the sun as it rests still as stone on the horizon.

                                            >"Alright..."

                                            >And here we...

                                            >Go.

                                            >You flip the main power switch as the Tether hums to life.

                                            >Yet the sun still hangs in the sky.

                                            >"Uh...Anon..."

                                            >"It'll work, dude."

                                            >Come on...

                                            >You HAVE to work...

                                            >Celestia clears her throat. "The sun is not moving, Anon..."

                                            >"It just takes a while for the magic to get to there is all!"

                                            >You jerk your head back to the sun and try staring it down.

                                            >Please work...


                                            >Suddenly, the sun shifts ever so slightly.

                                            >"Did you see that?" Mous said.

                                            >Come on, baby...

                                            >The sun began inching its way down, jerking ever closer to the horizon before finally beginning to coast down like it normally did.

                                            >"D-did it work?"

                                            >"See for yourself." Luna says behind you.

                                            >She opens the window behind you, letting you see a silver orb slowly inching its way up past the horizon.

                                            >It...it worked.

                                            >"HAHA! IT WORKED!" You shout as you jump into the air.

                                            >THE TETHER WORKED!

                                            >You feel a hand on your shoulder push you back to the ground gently. "Easy, sport. Don't want to break your new miracle machine." Mous says.

                                            >"Congrats, man." He adds with a slap on the shoulder.

                                            >You were sure you were grinning like a loon.

                                            >But at the same time, why shouldn't you? Your magnum opus and the result of over four hundred years of development had just paid off.

                                            >The sun and the moon would rise automatically now.


                                            >Luna and Celestia trot up to you. "Congratulations, Anon. You deserve every bit." Celestia said.

                                            >Luna was smiling just as much as you were. "Yes, this is an incredible feat! Nothing like this has happened since Starswirl the Bearded discovered two hundred spells in his spare time!"

                                            >"Yes...A very *yawn* impressive achievement."Celestia says.

                                            >She peers out the window at the rising moon. "With that, good friends, I shall retire. Luna, the court is yours." She says as she trots down the stairs.

                                            >Mous gazes out the window. "I gotta get gone too, crimes been up in Lower City lately and I have to go stand menacingly on top of roofs."

                                            >Dinner and a movie then, good luck man.

                                            >Mous leaving puts just you and Luna watching the moonrise.

                                            >"Amazing, Anon. Truly amazing." She says.

                                            >"Yeah..." You say. "Wonder what I should do with my time now."

                                            >Luna turns to you. "I feel the same way. With the moon rising on its own, I'm relieved of part of my duties."

                                            >She inches closer to you. "Perhaps we can assist each other in finding something to pass the time?"

                                            >You reach down and stroke her mane. "A celebration -does- seem in order..."


                                            >You were curled up in Luna's bed with her in your arms.

                                            >The window was open, letting the soft light of the artificially risen moon into the room.

                                            >Luna shifts in the bed, sending her now flaccid wings draping over you.

                                            >Experience has prepared you, however.

                                            >A trio of pegusi spouses had taught you how to avoid a face full of post-coital wing.

                                            >Luna continued to shift in your arms, grunting as she did.

                                            >"I know you enjoyed yourself, but I didn't hurt anything did I?"

                                            >A wing flies up and bops you in the head.

                                            >"Brute." Luna chuckles out.

                                            >You pull her closer to you. "Hey now, that almost sounded like the old Luna talking. I thought we worked on your vernacular issues millennia ago."

                                            >Luna sighs. "I wouldn't say it was my vernacular that was the issue here."

                                            >Well damn. "What's up?

                                            >Luna snaps her wing back against her body and turns to you, moon reflecting off her teal eyes.

                                            >"Anon, now that the Tether is done, what will you do?"


                                            >Well, that was the question of the day, huh?

                                            >You hadn't put much thought into it.

                                            >Your thoughts leading up to today had been dominated by the Tether, and you were a bit distracted afterwards.

                                            >"I...don't really know."

                                            >You slide your hands behind your head as Luna drapes her hooves over your chest.

                                            >"The Tether was the biggest thing I've ever worked on. My Magnum Opus. I...really don't know what I'd do after that."

                                            >"I've seen the world...gotten married...had kids, grandkids, and great grandkids. To tell you the truth Luna? It's all gotten...kinda dull."

                                            >"And ohh...it's been...five hundred years? Since I was last married."

                                            >You stare out over the dark room. "I guess it's finally getting to me too...they all end the same way."

                                            >In a hospital room.

                                            >You look down at Luna. "What about you?"

                                            >Luna shifts next to you. "No one...not since Pip...just you."

                                            >That was kind of flattering and sad at the same time.

                                            >"Still having the episodes?"

                                            >Luna nods. "Less often...but I...don't feel comfortable with anything particularly long term yet."

                                            >You reach down and stroke her mane.

                                            >Hmm...

                                            >Something new...

                                            >"Then I'll wait."

                                            >Luna looks up at you. "Wh-what?"

                                            >"I'll wait, I said. For you to try and work this out."

                                            >"Wait?"

                                            >"Yeah! I figure that we both care about each other enough, we both don't age, why not give it a try when we can?"

                                            >Luna's eyes fall. "You...know that could take some time, Anon..."

                                            >You wrap her hooves around your chest and pull her close.

                                            >"We have the time."

                                            >Luna rests her head on your shoulder and sighs. "Yeah..."