The day was going to be perfect.
Tom, Albert, and Mikhail stood together, dressed in their best. The event that was about to come to pass was unprecedented, and the culmination of the hopes and dreams that had driven the conflict, now finally over. "It's been a long time coming to this moment, Albert," Tom said finally as they waited.
"Indeed it has," Albert agreed, staring up towards where everyone else waited. "Of course, everything's not quite over. There's still a few messes to clean up."
"I think we can trust the children to take care of that," Mikhail spoke up softly. "I don't think they need us sticking our noses in their business now."
"Probably," Light admitted. "But you still have one last thing to do today. What do you plan to do afterwards?"
"Vinyl's offered me the head of the Mars Project," Mikhail replied. "I think it could be a worthwhile endeavor, and a good use for my skills and time. I'll see you both later." Turning, he headed towards another part of the building.
Albert let out a sigh, running his hand across his bald crown. "So...how does it feel, Tom?" he asked softly. "What's going to happen today?"
"It's...it's amazing," Tom responded softly, briefly wiping his eyes. "I...even with everything I worked for, hoped for, prayed for...I never thought to dream that this could come to pass. Or if it did, that I would live to see the world change enough to accept it."
Albert chuckled softly. "I know what you mean. Vinyl's done a lot to the world, hasn't she?"
"It really has been her, hasn't it?" Tom allowed. "You and I...we thought we were the ones who would change the world, make robots and humans true equals. We were right on the cusp of the beginning of a new age..."
"And then I woke up with a unicorn on my head, and she pulled the rug out from under both of us and remade the world her way," Albert laughed, gazing towards where his daughter was standing with Rock, preparing for what would come to pass this day. "And at the end, she won. The world is moving towards a new dawn, even if she has to drag it kicking and screaming."
"Hope we won't get too many kicks or screams today," Tom offered softly. "Rock deserves this day. It...it shouldn't go wrong."
Albert said nothing. He just stood next to his old friend, their hands behind their backs, watching and waiting for the day to unfold.
The kind of day of which they dreamed since they were small.
Rock tugged nervously at the collar of his tuxedo. "How do humans wear these things?" he demanded irritably. "It was sized exactly to my specs, and it's still the most uncomfortable garment I've ever worn."
"As I understand it, humans wear them as little as possible," Vinyl offered, shifting a bit in the blue and white robe she wore for the day. A large hat with a speaker design surrounded by a crown completed her idea of a 'priestess-queen' outfit, which she'd chosen for the day. She'd gone without her shades for this event. "It's just something for formal wear."
"But if it's such an important day, why would they deliberately pick uncomfortable outfits?" Rock asked in frustration.
"Well, I have two theories on that," Vinyl offered. "First, it's because it looks real nice, and everyone wants everything to be perfect on this day." She then grinned wickedly, looking up at Rock through her eyelashes. "Second, it makes it that much more fun to get out of them afterwards."
Rock blushed brightly as Vinyl burst into giggles. "How about we talk about something else?" he pleaded.
Vinyl's smile softened. "We've come a long way, haven't we?" she offered softly. "Fighting for the fate of the world, pushing science beyond its limits, discovering things unknown..." She sighed somewhat sadly. "I'm going to miss it."
Rock smiled warmly. "I admit, it was certainly a wild ride. I didn't really know what to think of you at first. And...the tech you gave your Father to use against me..."
Vinyl chuckled softly. "Yeah. I came up with some pretty crazy stuff trying to make Dad proud of me, huh?"
"Was it really him behind the Gamma incident?" Rock asked curiously.
Vinyl snickered softly. "Nope," she whispered so only Rock could hear. "That was me. Dad just took credit - and blame - to keep it off my record."
"Then why would he build eight Robot Masters to kidnap Dad?" Rock asked pointedly. "That doesn't seem to fit..."
Vinyl looked away with a nervous frown. "Rock...that was never a kidnapping," she offered sorrowfully. "That was Dad inviting Dr. Light to be Santa Claus for my first Christmas...and then them getting drunk and speculating what you'd think if you reactivated and he wasn't there. It..." Her voice trailed off.
Rock sighed softly. "Yeah...I was afraid it was something like that," he murmured. "In recent years, I thought back on those events...I really fell apart, didn't I?"
"Yeah..." Vinyl agreed. "And...I kinda went too far with my Wub Masters, trying to get back at you. I mean, I was a little kid upset about my Dad getting taken away, so I guess that sorta reaction - to try and make you feel as bad as I could about it - was understandable...but the way I went about it was really out of line. Sorry about that."
"We've both made mistakes with each other through all this," Rock offered warmly. "But we're friends. Friends make mistakes...and real friends get past them, and grow stronger together. I think we managed that." He sighed wistfully. "And that one adventure where you introduced Bass and Treble..."
Vinyl chuckled. "Yeah, I really went over the top with that one, huh?" She turned her eyes heavenward. "You know, as much fun as the rivalry was...I wish we'd never had to be enemies."
"Yeah..." Rock agreed. "It was better when we didn't have to fight. But that's at an end today."
"Yup," Vinyl agreed warmly. "And today, my two best friends get their happy ending. And we get the everlasting peace you fought for."
"We can only hope," Rock agreed. He glanced around, then paused as he noticed something he hadn't before. "Is that...is that Merkava behind the piano?"
Vinyl giggled. "No, the piano is Merkava. She added it to her tank chassis just for today."
Rock chuckled and rolled his eyes as he took in the robot beside the tank girl bot. "So how are she and Yamato Man getting along? Did they ever get that rematch?"
"You gave them the rematch, remember?" Vinyl teased. "When you got her to take him down with the sniper rifle? As for after that..." She grinned widely. "They're scheduled for two weeks from now."
Rock stifled his own laugh, only for his voice to die as Merkava began to play and the doors swung open.
Everyone had gathered round, as their hopes and dreams abound.
Mikhail smiled down proudly at his daughter, resplendent in her white gown as he walked her down the aisle. Friends, loved ones, family, and true supporters filled the seats. Today was the day everything changed for the better.
At the end of the aisle, Rock stood ramrod straight, looking nervous but hopeful...and more than a little flustered at the cut of Kalinka's gown. Kalinka, for her part, looked radiant, with a warm smile on her face. Vinyl spoke up from atop the podium. "Who gives away the bride?"
"I do," Mikhail said warmly as Kalinka slipped her hand off his arm and stepped to Rock's side. Mikhail then stepped back, letting it happen.
Vinyl looked up at the throng. "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to join these two together in blessed union. While there are some in this world who might say this should not be, it is not they who decide these things. These two already share a bond of friendship, of trust, of love. In my eyes, this day is about letting that bond be recognized and protected in the eyes of the law. Let it be so."
She swept her gaze around. "If there are any here now who have sound reason why these two should not be joined, speak now or forever hold your peace."
But one was there who did not care at all.
The doors burst open violently.
Damn you...
And the one robot that gave everyone the control chip in the cookies from the mars project... the sleeper agent, was finally revealed.
MOTHERF*CKER!
I realize that I probably won't be needed, because there will probably be a multitude of power aimed right at the moron who would DARE interrupt such a happy with his madness and intolerance...
BUUUUUT, I'ma just gonna prep my little friend...
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It's the beginning of the end that I've been dreading from the start.
Because of course they did.
Edit: Spoiler'd that.
Well, let's see. We've got a literal tank, a samurai, a mad scientist, a magic unicorn who's also a mad scientist, and Mega Man all in this room at the same time. How dead is this guy?
WHO DARES!!
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ELIMINATE THE INTRUDER!!
7683402 whoever it is, he had alot of time to plan this, so he probably put a lot of consideration into it and how he would execute it.
So you answer... Very very dead
After all if he is even trying he can't be that smart
7683402 Discount Mega Man, because Rock doesn't have the armor available at the moment. Aside from that, though, yeah, whoever this is is either bucked right up the plot, or is going to derail things to the point they were at the beginning of MotF. If I'm not mistaken, Reploid marriage wasn't something thought of prior to Octavia's influence. So, how badly are things going to go downhill?
7683402 Pretty sure Rock doesn't have his armor on him. Also, there isn't much he's even allowed to deal with as Mega Man anymore
7683402 On the scale of bullet to wubcannon, likely somewhere on the level of a few planetbusters.
*Scene shifts to show an extremely hungover
Hatter and an annoyed looking Earth pony*
"You had one job!"
"How was I suppose to know that some Idiot was going to crash the wedding."
"You were suppose to call Typhon if anyone shady approached the church and what did you do? You got drunk off your !"
Just attended a wedding yesterday, so if anything this was well timed.
of course
7683402
Real One: He is going to the 7th Layer of Hell in about 2.1 seconds, well, if Vinyl doesn't have a Bass Cannon at hoof of course, if she has, uh, about 0.000000...-56 zeroes later-...002 sub-units of time time 10 at the 3rd negative power.
True One: In other words, instantaneously.
I suddenly get the feeling that there are more then enough friends with superior firepower that this fool will be easily cut down. I am willing to bet Prometheus will put a stop to this because it is his little brother. Also where is Roll? Once again she gets forgotten about.
7683402 that's assuming that the four elemental masters, bass, treble, and every other one of their friends didn't attend.
So...the offender decides to pull a Shrek, huh!?
"I OBJECT!"
"Took you long enough..... Roll"
7683402 You never know, this guy's probably orchestrating a "Last ditch effort" to control the world for himself by possibly master hacking probably most of the robots he can get. All with a push of a cellphone.
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Or maybe hacking into the few robots that have ever been able to best Megaman, and take over the world like that, and then some.
Dude, I don't know who you are, and I don't care what your agenda is. But buddy, you just walked into a huge world of hurt. So unless you've got some sort of weapon dampener (which somehow doesn't apply to your weapons) a robot dampener (which won't work on Vinyl) a seriously OP shield, and/or a literal army you are about 2 seconds away from being so dead the reaper will have trouble getting everything in order.
Welp, gettin' the guns out. (Throws open miles of gun lockers)
LOCK AND LOAD, PEOPLE, WE'VE GOT OURSELVES AN ASSHOLE TO PLUG!
It's time *lifts fists* to pound some fuck-face. *jumps at the intruder* INHALE MY DONG!
7683854 *Grabs a Remington and a box of shells.* I have two facts for this party-crasher.
Fact one: A Remington shotgun has only two slots for ammo. Two shots. Then a rather lengthy reload if you're not dexterous enough to handle the shells and gun at the same time. That's fine though, just make the first shot count and they will feel it, robot or not.
Fact two: Call of Duty. Prestige 4. Remington with a gold skin. If that game did anything for me, it made me a damn good crack-shot.
*Cocks gun.* So... How lucky do you feel?
We aren't about to fight King from Megaman & Bass are we?
I bet Rarity could make one that fit perfectly. And I know your pain Rock, Tuxedoes are the most evil male garment around. I always ask, "Do I need a tux or is a nice shirt good enough?"
*head desk* Of course. Now how many busters and weapons will be pointed at the door in case it's a villain????
My guess: The Star Droids if it's a villain, or Bass running late if its harmless.
7683431 I think protecting his fiance on his wedding day is allowed, and Vinyl can always say, "Kick his ass Rock!" As Tats pointed out to me, the law bans Mega Man, not Rock.
Only problem is, if the objector is a human, every bot can basically take it up the rear save for Prometheus and Rock at this point. Apart from Rock and Prometheus, every robot is STILL governed by the Three Laws of Robotics. Human = CANNOT KILL. You can disagree with them all you want so long as they are flagged as "non-master", but you cannot harm them.
but for the sake of a WTF -
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7684030 What can Rock do as Rock, though? Rock isn't a fighting robot, Mega Man is.
7684049
And you're the first to catch even part of the dangerous loophole of the actual identity of the objector.
...I hate to say this, but to discover the other half, look at the recent history of the real world.
7684052 The armor is just protection. Rock can still form a buster, slide, jump, and everything else. And he was originally a tool user, I'm sure he can grab SOMETHING and use it Jackie Chan style to kick ass.
Imma follow the examples of some other on this comment section of the chapter and *bring out a heavily modified and doesn't exist AK-12 that uses 7x40mm bullets*.
"Who want to crash the party again?" *krack-krack*
7684067 IT'S DONALD TRUMP!
Come on, let some of the guests be armed with anti-wedding crasher gear. Or for some of them be undercover agents working for Vinyl(She's smart enough to have contingency plans so why not a whole squad or two). Hell, I'd take Rush biting their rear end.
why oh why do I want the ones bursting in to be Enker, Ballade, Punk, and Quint with a young Dr. Weil coming in to mock them for there Ideals. That or Terra who then no sells everything thrown at him before introducing the party to the stardroids.
Is this the event that will bring . . . THE END? If it is then we might learn why Light was so affected. Learn why Prometheus has to be the sorrowful uncle who can't tell Axl what he is. Learn if some of the hints mean anything . . . who killed the Megaman.
*starts floating and generating energy to destroy the intruder dragonball z style*
You know, considering we still don't know who perpetrated the roboenza incident, the worst thing that could be coming through those doors right now would be a herd consisting of Octavia, the Mane Six, and the two princesses, all insisting that Vinyl return to Equestria with them.
7683374
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Just brushed up on my Megaman 5 lore. Apparently there are actually 4 versions of Dark Man, with Dark Man 4 being the one with shape shifting powers. So here is my theory. Dark Man 4 went rogue due to missing out on fighting Mega Man. Disgruntled, he steals A.X.L.-C.'s more advanced shape shifting tech and used that to frame Wily twice in a bid to make Mega Man turn on Vinyl, or force Vinyl to openly investigate. Now that Vinyl has taken a third option and succeeded in taking over the world, he has decided to go Kill Bill on everyone. It doesn't matter to him if Kalinka takes up a katana and goes The Bride on him, because he as already won. A Wily Bot publicly killed Mega Man on his wedding day, completely derailing Vinyl's plans for everlasting peace.
7684067
...or maybe he simply took a bribe from multiple world leaders who had interns watch the broadcast for them, various anti-tech terrorist groups, and Kim Jong-il. Seriously, if you are hinting at a specific human character previously mentioned by name in this fic as the one being the trigger man for these events, I'm drawing a blank.
7683392
Death by Back Story. Not the sort of thing most can wiggle out of.
7684585
I'm not hinting at a specific human character.
I was referring to...a particular tactic. One that would be ideally suited for seeking to cause an international incident in an area filled with robots still somewhat bound by The First Law.
7684592
"Home Grown Terrorists" and "False Flag" operations have already been covered, so it isn't either of those two... "Human Shields"? Well, probably, but I suspect you are going somewhere darker than that. Honestly, I am at a loss. I guess I'll have to wait three days like everyone else to find out.
7684592 Wait…are you talking about how Rock needed to be reprogrammed to define unicorns as human? Is this guy going to take a hostage to get the bots to turn on Vinyl whether they want to or not?
Tatsurou,
So we have about four or five more chapters left to the The Final Chapter right or am I or wrong.
7684067 It's Russia! Because Hillary was elected & erected her precious no flight zone!
As soon as he had "This Day Aria" in focus, I knew something was coming a mile away.
Also, I imagine Dr. Light's best to be a white suit and tie with a red shirt, Dr. Wily's best to be a black suit with a white shirt and blue tie, and Dr. Cossak to be similar to Dr. Wily but he has a brown suit and bow tie.