X sat back at his desk, having just finished typing up his official review of Gate's research and developments, giving his official endorsement to Gate's continued research. It had been quite a lot to type, and each time he stopped, he couldn't help but marvel at just how advanced Gate was as compared to most available science that so much of what he'd created couldn't be completely analyzed as data. He couldn't help but think about what that said about himself and Zero, considering that they still couldn't be fully analyzed. He idly wondered how long it would be before he and Zero could be completely analyzed, and ones with their capabilities and capacity to evolve became the norm, rather than the ideal. He wondered if that could ever happen...and what that said about Dr. Light and whoever created Zero if it couldn't happen.
As he leaned back, he felt familiar hands on his neck and shoulders, and smiled as he relaxed into the gentle massage. "I'm not actually all that stressed," he murmured as he sipped his coffee. "Not that I'll say no to this either way."
Alia chuckled as she leaned over his shoulder, neither of them in uniform just now. X had gone with slacks and a loose shirt to relax in, while Alia had gone with much the same, though a bit more flattering on her figure. "So how'd things go at Gate's lab?" she asked idly.
"Beyond what I could have imagined," X admitted, letting his head rock back to look her in the eye. "You weren't kidding about how brilliant he is. I had a hard time following everything he was doing at first. And the things he's already created, the breakthroughs he's made..." He shook his head in awe.
Alia giggled quietly as she wrapped her arms around him. "Any problems?" she asked worriedly.
"Nothing that can't be solved with interpersonal relations rather than direct interventions," X replied. "That's my official recommendation in that regard...that the high power Reploids he's created do a few stints as Hunters as part of the elite teams, so they can learn teamwork and recognize the strengths and skills of others."
"Do you think it will work?" Alia wondered, biting her lip pensively.
X shrugged. "No idea. I can hope it will, and if it doesn't, we should be able to address any problems that result on a case-by-case basis, rather than letting bureaucrats make blanket decisions."
"That's good," Alia agreed. "If nothing else, it should green light Gate's continued research."
They leaned into each other for a time, just relaxing, lost in thought. Eventually, X spoke up again. "So how long do you think it'll be until Gate accomplishes his big plan?" he asked curiously. "The one you told me about?"
Alia tilted her head back and forth, making quiet 'hmm' sounds. "Not sure," she admitted finally. "It'll probably be a while. Why?"
"Just wondering how long it's going to be before human courts of law recognize Reploid marriages," X replied easily.
Alia blinked, stunned as she pulled back a bit. "What brought this on?" she asked, confused.
"A conversation I had with Zero and Octavia on the way to Gate's lab," X admitted. "I asked Octavia if she had any questions before we got there. I meant about what we were going to do there...but she asked when I was going to ask you out."
Alia couldn't help it. She burst into laughter. "So much for trying to keep her from feeling neglected about it, right?" she joked as she let her chuckles die down.
"So much for keeping it secret, either," X added. "She'd seen the way I look at you, and apparently the whole HQ knows how you feel about me."
Alia blushed, brushing her hair back. "I suppose I could have managed to be a bit more discreet-"
"She also said it was about time she had a mother."
Alia fell silent, stunned. "X..."
"Was...was I neglecting what she needed by trying not to neglect her?" he asked worriedly. "Would it have been better to tell her right at the start? Has she lost something because I didn't give her a mother when she needed one when she was younger-"
Alia cut off his worried ramblings with a quick kiss. "X, you've never been a father before," she explained. "There aren't any books on parenting...and even if there were, there aren't any on raising magical ponies from another dimension as a single parent. You've done the best you can, doing what you thought was right every step of the way. If she hasn't brought this up before now, then before now she probably wasn't secure enough in how she felt about me to want to change that. You know how she is. If she wants something, she doesn't dance around the subject."
X chuckled ruefully. "No she is not. I half expected another full fledged guilt trip like when she wanted her Power Armor."
Alia's chuckles were a bit more good-spirited. "I guess she didn't think you needed it. Still, how did this lead to wondering about Reploid marriage?"
"I...was rather obvious in my reaction, and Zero was able to get out how long we'd been dating in secret," X concluded. "Octavia said that, if it had been that long...I should forget courting and 'put a ring on that'." He couldn't suppress his smile at Alia's stunned expression. "And...now that I've thought about it...I can't help but think she's got the right idea."
"As always," Alia allowed, somewhat ruefully as she leaned against X's back. She thought quietly for a time. "I don't know about the ring...but I'll certainly be happy to make 'us' public. And...I'm looking forward to being Tavi's Mom-"
Music played loudly suddenly interrupted their quiet moment, followed by a very familiar voice singing.
"Tavi's Mom has got it goin' on!
Tavi's Mom has got it goin' on!
Tavi's Mom has got it goin' on!
Tavi's Mom-"
"Zero, I'm going to kill you!" X roared out as he drew his buster, Alia hiding her face in nearby pillows in embarrassment.
So it begins
Zero is a troll.
And thus began the Reploid World War, which resulted in the destruction of civilization for the second time.
WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!?!?!?!??!?!??!?!??!???!?!??!?!?!??!?!?!?!?!??!!?!??!?!?!??!?!??!?!?!?!?!!!!!?!???!!??!??!??!??!??!?!?!??!?
On another note, good chapter, but that ending...........why? just why?
I mean it is a little funny, but why would you do that to a person?
Anyways, other than that I found the chapter amazing, and wish to see what comes next
that has got to be the single most perfectly time prank ever,
that song is going to be stuck in my head for the rest of the night
There are many books on parenting. Even in the future, after at least a partial apocalypse, there are enough people to write more books on parenting.
You could have easily used the magical unicorn line, but apparently there are somehow no books on parenting at all in 21XX.
And here we have the perfect setup for Gate's detractors to have a few hunters in their pockets.
LOL
Priceless.
Please don't play that song.
God dammit, Zero. Way to ruin the moment.
10/10 would troll again.
Yeah, imagine a world where Reploids could actually come back from the dead without aid of a virus... Hmm...
vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net/capcomdatabase/images/5/5a/Z_Emblem.png/revision/latest?cb=20140711184500 It seems that may come to pass much sooner than we may think.
Don't remind me, I'm still getting over the second time she guilted someone. I mean, imagine if THIS happened in Ocarina of Time.
I mean, I understand that it's most likely HER that's causing all this, and the first time was OK for the most part, but the second time was a bit TOO significant to overturn it simply like that. Even when SHE had her journey, she still had to consider every possibility available to her in order to get the best possible outcome. The way it's done here makes it seem... forced in a way, like something really, really spectacular could have happened, but didn't, and we got a Super Guide instead of the masterful manipulation you see in other works. Don't get me wrong, the handling of the various problems were OK (Even if you COMPLETELY ignored what a character stated in-game just to further "da plot"), but the enacting of the handling seemed a bit less... practical than it could've been. Maybe if Octavia catered to another aspect of Colonel's pride so things could be talked over or something, I dunno... oh, wait, I forgot that there was a new chapter I was supposed to be talking about!
Oh my gosh, this was so adorable!!! They were all romantical and hopeful for the future and stuff, and Octavia ruined the moment by singing about Tavi's mom; it was all so KYEWT!!!!!!!!... So, yeah, this chapter happened... (awkward comment is awkward) take care, I guess.
6910869
It was Zero singing, not Octavia.
6910876 THAT MAKES IT EVEN KYEWTER!!!!!!!!!!!!!...
Ah, it's fun to spaz out from time to time. (But seriously, how did I not get that?)
Now I am going to have Alia doing that video in my head for a few days. Thanks for that Tatsurou. Now I am going to feel creepy for a few days.
Zero, you glorious bastard.
Thank you for giving me another reason to be worried about the outcome of this BTW. You made Zero so likable in this story, so when X5 happens I'm going to be really scared for him.
Another enjoyable chapter. Good job.
That ending, you glorious bastard.
Dick move, Zero
6910585 Troll Zero, where it all began.
Really? I thought there were some authored by Tat- oh.
How long does it take to flood the internet with a video of Octavia putting on her cutest begging filly face and asking "Why can't my mommy and daddy get married like humans can?" while surrounded by Classic, Piano, and Timbre around her to add to her adorableness.
I liked this chapter, great character development and a good laugh at the end.
6911643
And how long after that does it take to have the world of only Reploids because every human who sees it suffers fatal cardiac arrest?
6911648 I think most of the humans would rise up in protest over some stupid law making the adorable filly sad and and their outrage over her sadness would protect them. Plus, if they put a warning in front that says, "Warning, this video contains an adorable filly. Check your blood sugar levels and if your family has a history of heart attacks wear sunglasses while viewing." I think everyone will survive.
Yeah, it's a shame no copies of Wiley's memoirs survived the War.
Also, why do I feel like that last bit (Tavi's Mom has got it goin' on!) was more Vinyl's fault that Zero's?
I imagined them as the old-timey, colorless, slice of life sitcom couple.
...and in this sitcom, Zero is the sudden 90s sitcom cool guy who screws with his best friend in some way.
Definitely a delightful little chapter, here's hoping that nothing terrible happens for X and Alia.
I had a really good hunch that Zero has some of Vinyl's influence...
Well, actually...
6912004
It probably is her fault.
6910640 The problem is that, IF any books like that did survive the event that changed the world, (The Cataclysm) all of them are for humans raising humans. This still makes them useless for X.
when's vinyl gonna show up
Feels like W.W.W. and this one are the same one universe
6918682
They are. WWW is the Mega Man era, this is the X era.
6919410
And now my head swarming with time-traveling shiping ideas...
6911648 Meh
LOL.
wrong my little dashie and our girl scootaloo(take most advise from the latter)
here's a pony version of stacy's mom by p1k called button's mom it's awesome
Actually there are, it's only that their in that dimension.
8290464
Actually, those are all about raising ponies from the same dimension, not from another dimension...
Oh God, Zero's such a dick.
"How To Raise A Magic Pony From Another Dimension As A Single Parent" by Albert Willy,Tony Stark, Bruse Wayne, Sly Cooper, Ratchet, Fox McCloud...
zero's prank at the end still get's me, it's funny as hell
11045367
Should sly really be part of it? It was him and Carmelita that raised coco, even if it was an odd form of parental custody at the time. She still had spent time with both “parents”.