Free Moon

by Shrink Laureate

The Free Moon

This is Defiance calling Ponyville. Do you hear me, over?

I hear you too, Ponyville. Loud and clear, over.

Altitude is seven score. We're coasting over the lunar surface. It feels strange, as if we should be dropping but we aren't. We should be able to see the landing site soon, over.

Not a lot, Ponyville. Just a lot of dead white rocks. There are a lot of craters, large and small, and rocks all over the place. It's worse than a desert.

We can see Equestria through the port window, though. It looks so tiny, and all green and blue. There are no lines on it, no borders. No sign of the tyrant's…

Never mind. Over.

Uh, same as they were an hour ago, Ponyville. What do you expect to have changed, over?

Okay, okay. Oxygen level, seven tenths. Propellant, seven tenths. Battery, six tenths. I'd better conserve that for the trip back. Altitude is six score, over.

I'm starting to think she's not here, Ponyville. There's no signs of life at all here.

Still waiting on visibility on the landing site, over.

Ponyville? Are you there, over?

Seriously, Ponyville. This is such a critical time. I can’t believe you’d miss a moment of it, over.

Wait, I think we can see the landing site now, Ponyville. Just coming over the horizon. Looks like we're right on target, over.

Honestly, not much, Ponyville. It looks as dry and dead from close up as it did through your telescope.

Wait. I think I can see some structures up ahead, over.

That's what I said, Ponyville. We can see buildings, roads, statues. All made from the same grey rock. Wow, there's really a lot of them. There's practically a whole city here, over.

Affirmative. Are you sure there's only one creature up here, Ponyville? It would take years for one pony to make all these, over.

A thousand years, yeah. Point made, Ponyville. Still, this means that she's here. She's real. Our work wasn't for nothing. Our…

I'm fine, Ponyville. I'm fine. On mission, over.

Could you repeat the message please, over?

Confirmed, Ponyville. Altitude is three score. We're coming in for our final descent, over.

Engaging retro thrusters now. Fifty seconds.

That's a Tartarus of a kick.

Four. Three. Two. One. Disengaging retro thrusters.

Oof!

We have contact! We've touched down and everypony is fine! We are on the moon, repeat, we are on the moon, over!

It's hard to tell right now, Ponyville. The thrusters threw up a lot of dust, and it's limiting our visibility. We should be able to tell you in a few seconds, Ponyville.

Sure thing. Oxygen seven tenths, propellant six tenths, battery six tenths. Altitude zero, of course. Looks like we're fine for the return trip, Ponyville. Over.

The three of us are all fine. It’s strange. There’s gravity here, but not much. It’s a bit like swimming, over.

Okay, the dust outside is starting to settle now. We're surrounded by buildings. They all look very old fashioned, all columns and spires and minarets. All of it's carved out of the same white rock. I think some of the buildings are carved right out of one piece. It looks like the pictures of old Canterlot from a thousand years ago. You know, from before the tyrant.

There's a lot of detail in them all, as if somepony spent years making every one. They're all different as well. There's no repetition at all. It looks like our target is an artist, over.

I wish everypony back home could see this. I wish my little sister…

Yeah, we've got the camera ready, Ponyville. We'll bring you back some pictures, over.

I see her! I see her, over!

She's beautiful, Ponyville. Dark against the pale rock, with stars in her mane. She's tall like the tyrant, but dignified. No armour, no crown.

She's perfect, over.

She's seen us, Ponyville. She's looking our way, over!

A thousand years, in a place like this. It's hard to even think about. What does that do to a pony? I pray she’s still in one piece. For all our sakes.

She's coming this way, over.

We're preparing for contact now, Ponyville. We're helping each other seal up our spacesuits. Ready soon, over.

I'm worried, Ponyville. Is the spare spacesuit we brought going to be big enough for her? She's a lot taller than other ponies. I'd hate for Equestria's salvation to be held back by a size issue.

Good call, Ponyville. The sewing kit is at the ready. We can use binary glue and patches to cover the seams. We're going to get her home, Ponyville. Tell stores it's a good thing we packed everything, over.

She's holding back. Waiting to see what we do. I'm sure we look very strange to her. A unicorn, a pegasus and an earth pony, wearing baggy orange outfits and big bubbles on our heads, riding in a shiny gold capsule. Over.

We’re almost there– Ponyville?

Ponyville, I thought I heard something at your end, over?

It didn’t sound like radio noise to me, over.

If you insist, Ponyville.

Everyone's ready, like we rehearsed. We help each other out of the capsule, then we bow. The photographs of Equestria are in my saddle bag. Of the tyrant's Equestria. Even without words, that should tell her everything she needs to know, over.

Helmets are secure. I've started depressurising the capsule now. Two minutes until we can open the hatch and meet her, over.

What's that noise, Ponyville?

Oh, shit. Did they track the radio signal back to you? You have to get out of there, Ponyville. Get out, over.

I mean it, get out while you can. Equestria needs you, over!

Ponyville, what's happening there? Ponyville! Please respond, over!

Who is this? Put them back on!

You have no right! The tyrant won't rule forever, you monsters.

Good luck, Ponyville. Hang in there. There's only one thing we can do for you all now.

Defiance out.

Comments

[Venerable Ro]

How did Nightmare cultists build an entire spaceship?

[Frazikar]

Somewhere in the Everfree Forest but the takeoff would have been noticeable ...

[Mitch H]

11206326

It's the magical kingdom of Equestria. Who says they rose on pillars of flame and fire?

That's more the tyrant's scene, anyways. The quiet ones fly on wings of shadow and silence.

In defiance of the arrogant sun - the harsher your light, the deeper the shadows we will cast.

[Iron Comet]

Defiance. A good name.

[The Weaver]

Call me paranoid but i think they are retrieving Luna to help fight Daybreaker.

[PhycoKrusk]

I do like how people are so quick to assume that the name "tyrant" naturally refers to the sun.

It could, of course, but the burning light is far from the sole oppressive force in the universe.

[Genial Precis]

Sounds like a forlorn hope

[PiMan]

11206324
That's one interpretation, but think a more likely guess is that Celestia is actually a tyrant in this story and that Luna is a good pony about to be rescued.

[Bookeater_otaku]

Interesting start.

[PLAYBRONY]

Dude, this is awesome. I’d love to see a sequel of Nightmare Moon’s reaction!

[CharonX]

11206663
They point out that their target wears no armor (unlike the tyrant). Nightmare Moon is usually depicted wearing armor (as is Daybreaker) while Celestia and Luna only wear their ornamental gear.

So it is rather likely that this is a universe where Daybreaker defeated Luna and banished her to the moon.

[1WickedQuill]

Sequel?

[TheLegendaryBillCipher]

Well heck, now I want more. Great story!

[fanreader999999]

Hm.

[VisualPony]

Love the story! Seriously! Have my upvote and Favorite ;)

[RainbowInfinityReadings]

Greetings. Your reading has been completed and can be found below. I hope you enjoy.

[FanOfMostEverything]

Lovely work. Using one side of a conversation to conserve word count was ingenious, to say nothing of the story itself. The best part may be the ambiguity. It certainly seems like a Daybreaker scenario here, but I can't be completely sure. And anything could happen in both contacting Luna and making their way back, to say nothing of what they may be planning after reentry. Great stuff. I'd love to see a sequel should inspiration strike. Thank you for it, and best of luck in the judging.

[Bicyclette]

We can see Equestria through the port window, though. It looks so tiny, and all green and blue. There are no lines on it, no borders. No sign of the tyrant's…

an ominous twist on Pale Blue Dot, i like it!

There's a lot of detail in them all, as if somepony spent years making every one. They're all different as well. There's no repetition at all. It looks like our target is an artist, over.

aww, heartbreaking to imagine that this is how Luna filled up those lonely centuries, recreating the home that she lost in this desolate place

I wish everypony back home could see this. I wish my little sister…

ah, an echo of the reveal at the end of the pilot right after Luna was rediscovered

She's beautiful, Ponyville. Dark against the pale rock, with stars in her mane. She's tall like the tyrant, but dignified. No armour, no crown.

She's perfect, over.

i love this! that contrast with Celestia must be all the more refreshing to these ponies who consider her a tyrant, and augh, i can just imagine their joy at sighting their true Princess and savior that they've been waiting all their lives for

A unicorn, a pegasus and an earth pony, wearing baggy orange outfits and big bubbles on our heads, riding in a shiny gold capsule. Over.

aww, very fitting for this voyage to be For All Ponykind, and based out of Ponyville as well

The photographs of Equestria are in my saddle bag. Of the tyrant's Equestria. Even without words, that should tell her everything she needs to know, over.

and oof! sparing detail helps both with the word count and lets the reader imagine whatever they wish here

Good luck, Ponyville. Hang in there. There's only one thing we can do for you all now.

Defiance out.

augh, i love it! this is a story that feels like the start of a very exciting one, but also does not feel any less complete for it, which is a tough balance to strike. the trickling-out of the actual nature of the mission and how this world differs from canon Equestria was perfectly executed, and i loved all the little things that let this story pack a lot more story into its thousand words than otherwise: only showing the lunar side of the conversation, no details on just why Celestia is a horrific tyrant. just the perfect balance of letting the reader fill in the blanks. great stuff!

[daOtterGuy]

Howdy, hi~!

This was brilliant. Love the one-sidedness of the story. It was a really interesting concept played out in 1000 words. I like that it leaves things ambiguous on whose perspective this is, whether getting Luna is a good thing or a bad thing. Also, some interesting stars assisting in her escape. Really fun read, thanks~!

[Loganberry]

Hello! Have a review. This fic had to battle against two things that don't always appeal to me: sci-fi and the whole Tyrant Celestia implications, as I generally find that tiresome. Your fic rose above that, though, and I adored the one-sided presentation. A hard trick to pull off, but it worked so well here -- and what an ending. My favourite of the honourable mentions (and well done on that!) so have a like and a favourite.

[Shrink Laureate]

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Thank you!

[TheOneAJ]

[PaulAsaran]

You can has review!

[Bad Horse]

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The ponies flying to the moon to retrieve Luna would call Celestia "tyrant", regardless of whether she was Daybreaker, or our beloved canon Celestia.