Ranger
Chapter 94: FMP pt. 4
By Wanderer D
"Well, it's good to know I fill out eventually."
Twilight shook her head. "You're taking this in too well."
"You should have seen me earlier," Sunset said. "When I saw that giant snake I was so freaked out I ran and hid in the restroom for at least fifteen minutes. Then, if I hadn't seen my share of crazy things, I wouldn't have overheard two people talking about you and that you were in the lab… and, well, the rest is history. I just… followed the signs."
"It's still surprising," Twilight said, nodding and patting Sunset's hand. "You have to forgive me, but you remind me more of my friends back in Equestria than "Bloody" Sunset. She's… different."
"Bloody?"
Twilight sighed. "That's her nickname. Uncomfortably well-earned too."
"Wow," Sunset cleared her throat. "And um, how exactly did I-she… uh… how did she earn that title?"
"Because she's always covered in it."
Sunset grimaced. "Now who takes things too lightly? The Twilight Sparkle in my world would be freaked out by the idea of blood being spilled alone." she sighed, "does "me" here really use Blood Magic? She's called "Bloody"? Runs around getting bloodbaths? What… kind of monster am I here?"
The question hit Twilight like a truck. Her thoughts went back to Sunset's diary… how Sunset's first priority had been Twilight's safety. How she only had good things to say about her to Celestia and her friends. How she had hated herself when Twilight was captured. She thought back to how she had felt when she had seen a younger Sunset, terrified during a fight. How proud she had been at Twilight's decision to go on her first mission. And… it didn't seem fair.
"Please don't call her that…"
"Hm?"
"Please don't call her a monster."
Sunset blinked, sitting back. "I'm… sorry, it's just a lot to take in… and it sounded like you weren't too fond of her, the way you spoke of her. It's weird for me… when you visit me, we're good friends."
Twilight chuckled. "I wonder how similar I am still to the Twilight you know."
"I dunno, you still sound similar."
Twilight sighed.
"So… can I ask why you don't get along with her?" Sunset prodded gently. "At first it sounded like you didn't like her much, but you seem to have some respect for her regardless."
"It… did?" Twilight asked. She shook her head. "I don't.. dislike Sunset. I don't have a problem with her… she's brave. Strong. Smart. A good leader… hell, she's even our go-to liaison with three factions!"
"But?"
"I don't know."
Sunset hummed and laid back on the bed, arms under her head and staring up at the metallic ceiling. "I wish I knew what to say, Twilight… back home… I got lucky in many ways. After running away and finding myself in the human world, I was adopted. I was a brat, but I played nice because it served my purpose... until the Fall Formal when I stole your element and things went sideways… I became a literal demon and if you and our friends hadn't blasted me with friendship rainbows who knows where I'd be today?
She sighed. "I'm still… paying for that. I was a bully and a horrible person to everyone at school until then and they are still forgiving me to this day… I have a lot to make up for. Over here, it seems she didn't get lucky enough to have a family?"
Twilight frowned. "She has all the family she can get. She's been adopted into the Skirmishers, so there's a hundred brothers and sisters right there. Then there's us here. The Avenger is small enough for everyone to be practically family. Then there's Angel… the giant snake… I think she has a thing for Sunset… and then there's Central. Commander Chrysalis keeps telling him he acts like Sunset's dad."
"Wait…" Sunset pushed herself up and stared at Twilight. "Commander Chrysalis? That's my dad's boss…"
They both stared at each other for a second, then Sunset gulped. "What's his name?"
"Bradford?" Chrysalis asked. "Why is Sunset laughing?"
"I'm not sure, commander."
Sunset sighed, a smile still splitting her face as she stopped laughing. "I'm sorry… it's just…" she shook her head. "I'm glad. It makes me happy to know that she… I… was that lucky."
Bradford looked slightly baffled, but Chrysalis' eyes narrowed and she crossed her arms, leaning back. "So you're not from the future, exactly, but rather... a different Sunset."
"Commander if you were just the tiniest bit sharper you'd be cutting right through reality," Sunset muttered. "Yes, that's correct. From my alternate timeline, I'm older, a Lieutenant in XCOM, and not… adopted by Central."
"Where is my daughter?" Bradford hissed.
"Hey, easy," Sunset said, raising her hands, "If we switched, she's fine. She's in the Avenger, with the older, scarred, more grizzled, sweater-less Bradford," she added. "Lily Shen, Annette Durand, Twilight Sparkle and the Commander are also there."
"How do I know I can trust you?" Bradford asked, drilling her with his glare.
"Because I trust you." Sunset's smile became smaller, more contemplative, and if anything more disarming. "Because you and I crossed the world together, through jungle and frozen tundra… we fought together and bled together. Because you taught me to be better and brought me into XCOM where I became the person I am now… until I achieve the rank of Commander and retire you both to the Bahamas. I knew, if there was anyone in this alternate world that I could trust… it would be you."
"Sounds like you have a dad there too," Chrysalis remarked. Before Sunset could correct her, she had already leaned forward again. "Now. You clearly understand the situation better than we do, so… how do we get our Sunset back?"
Sunset blinked. "Um… they're mostly theoretical, but Starswirl the Bearded had the theory that these kind of things were not sustainable. They had some magical elasticity, of course, but I'm not replacing anyone in the past, and my counterpart is if anything in the future…"
"...so you don't know but it's not going to last too long as far as you can guess." Chrysalis finished.
"So…" Sunset asked after a moment of silence, "I have to ask. Did… did you win the war? Is that why everything is okay?"
Chrysalis' eyes narrowed. "Not… exactly. We've encountered some hostile aliens, but nothing too crazy. Dr V's investigations into their technology seems to indicate that they are stragglers… remnants from a bigger battle that took place far, far away."
Sunset's eyes narrowed. "I wonder…" she shook her head. "Well, if Dr. Vahlen says so…"
Chrysalis rubbed the bridge of her nose. "Lieutenant, I realize that your organization is a bit more lax than ours in some respects, but please keep the names of members of highly-secret organizations as confidential as possible."
"Sorry, Commander."
"I don't suppose you could write some notes on the aliens you have encountered so far?" Chrysalis asked. "It would help us prepare better."
Sunset nodded. "Of course, anything I can do to help. I know more about the current batch of aliens than the original invasion, but I'll try and note down as much as I can remember."
Chrysalis smiled. "Good, good. Then, I'll talk to the principal… is there anything we can help you with? An exchange of information?"
Sunset smiled. "Well, I'd don't know if I could read Dr. V's notes?"
"Classified, but you are a Lieutenant… I'll see what I can do. Anything else?"
"Unless you know how to fight Elder-mutated and enhanced Sirens that can't be killed, I can't think of anything else."
Chrysalis paused right next to the door. "Sirens? Like Aria, Adagio and Sonata?"
Sunset's eyes were wide and she half-rose from her chair. "Wait… you know them?"
Chrysalis smiled. "Well. It seems you'll be visiting our XCOM after all." She looked up at Bradford. "Central, your… other you's daughter is under your responsibility for now. Make yourself proud."
Bradford was looking at Sunset thoughtfully. "Yes commander."
"I need to talk to Principal Celestia and Vice-Principal Luna," Chrysalis said.
"Um, Commander!"
"Yes?" Chrysalis smirked, "Lieutenant?"
"If we're going… I'd like to speak to Sunset's friends."
Bradford's frown had returned. "Want to tell me why Applejack looked like she had a broken nose?"
Sunset chuckled nervously.
"I'll let you two sort that out, by the way, Lieutenant?"
"Yes, ma'am?"
"You're under orders to be his daughter for the duration of your stay."
Sunset and Bradford looked at each other uncomfortably.
"So…" Sunset ventured, chuckling a little, "can we get ice cream on the way home?"
o.0.o End Chapter 94 o.0.o
Cool way of getting information, maybe some technical exchange. Sunset is too much of a nerd not to have an inkling on how magnetic weaponry works.
Magic would be the real game changer, though. A mostly peaceful world would be able to, through XCOM's efforts, harness it better. And be ready to blow psi aliens to kingdom come when/if they arrive.
Civvie Sunset will have a harder time dealing with super secret organizations and stuff, though.
Pat, pat sunset. Everyone makes mistakes. If you apologize they'll forgive you.
Yes~ more awkwardness, more hilarity from parallels and discrepancies
So, the sirens were already captured?
Fascinating way to fold XCOM into a more recognizable Equestria Girls setting. Especially whatever they've done with and/or to the sirens.
Meanwhile, a more innocent Sunset seems like just the thing to help Twilight start sorting out her feelings about Commander Bloody. A reminder that XCOM's resident snake charmer wasn't always the hardass currently trying to charm a younger Bradford into ice cream.
Wanderer D you have been a master of suspense these last few chapters
Ya know what I think this story has earned this.
Oh, Sunset!
I love this story.
So, this is temporary, good, getting it into an arc would have been troublesome, so my theory is that harmony or the elements themselves did this to sunset and twilight to help them figure out their issues, and helping both wolrds little along the way XD, is that or it just came out of wandered D mind because someone dared him XD.
ordered to be a daughter and already testing the bounds of her "dad" oh this is gonna be good!
For the sake of this comment, I'm going to state that civvie sunset's world is the actual canon, since it deviates the least from the movies.
Now, i haven't given the plot itself much thought, outside of rather enjoying it. One thing that sorta stood out to me last chapter was the question posed to Bloody Sunset if she had another vision. Given that civvie pony sunset was adopted, and not human sunset, that implies that civvie sunset's canon mind reading is what is being referred here by that question. That still leaves the question as to what happened to Sunny One of the canon verse.
Is it possible that pony Sunny of both timelines could have been psykers along with their human counterparts? Because if the mirror portal makes Sunny a genetic copy of her human twin, then both ponies would be psykers.
Now you might be asking, if that's the case, their own power would destroy them. Since in both games psychic power must be drawn out by outside means, then the pony Sunnys' power would be naturally suppressed enough to not cause an issue.
But here's the rub. What if being blasted by friendship rainbows corrected the volatile reaction between magic and psychic power in civvie Sunny? Civvie Sunny is having visions because she's the missing magical link that Bloody Sunny's Twilight is looking for?
Looking like I was right, this was done to heal them both, Twi is already seeing how dumb she is acting towards Sunset, though not fully and Sunset is about to get to be a kid... even if its just be grounded, no ice cream for breaking your friends nose young lady!
Wonder how long this mind swap is going to last. Star Swirl might have stated it takes a lot of magic and should stop soon, but its the elements doing this so magic isn't going to run out any time soon.
Wonder where in the EQG timeline this is set. It seems to be between Rainbow Rocks and Friendship Games but I could be wrong.
Huh. I guess if Twilight wont talk to Sunset about why she doesnt dislike her the next best person to talk to would be...alternate reality Sunset from another time! Totally makes sense!
Love it!
Now I'm wondering if the Sirens are staying as "guests" of Vahlen.
I wonder if civvie Sunset has her geode with her.
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Unlikely. This looks like a standard soul swap, nothing physical was transferred.
Oh goodness that's adorable.
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If not military sunset might be informed of where to find it
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I thought Twilight mentioned that Civie Sun looked younger?
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Nope. Chapter 93:
I don't.. dislike Sunset
Well, I'd don't know if I could read Dr. V's notes
1. Missing a full stop to make an ellipses.
2. Err... I'd don't know? I would do not know? Unless it's a speaking parallel that correct then I'm not sure.
8932480 It comes up in later chapters
So, other world Sunset clearly doesn't know anything about XCOM but she does know that Chrysalis is her father's boss. Seems likely that the former isn't going to remain true once she goes home.
Wow, this is a more significantly different XCOM environment then I was initially expecting.
Huh.
Ice cream sounds good, a real father daughter activity.
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I guess the Micronoids brought their A game to this timeline, which brings a question, are they coming to this universe to finish the job?
If they come will they still attack earth?
Okay, its not the prime time, just one very close to it, and here Bradford adopted Sunset and the invasion hadn't happen. Yet that is.
Damn Sunset, you don't waste time on taking advantage of the situation
me
I love the idea that in a universe where XCOM exists and Rainbow Rocks happens, the defeated, magic-less Sirens get taken in by XCOM. Whether as captives or as employees is yet to be revealed.
The presence of a few hostile aliens that are stragglers from a distant conflict? That's rather weirder.
How does this keep getting more amusing?
needs a third semicolon
I love this probably way more than I should
THAT END LINE
Finaly everything makes sense again
Now i remember... nice...