The Measure of Her Reach

by Ximer

It Starts

The frontline had bogged down as Impulse Spark had been cornered in the outlands. What was once thought to be a place depleted of its resources was found to be thriving with a populace devoid of law, the perfect place for a fugitive to set up camp and try to take one more shot at revenge. What the unicorn hadn't expected was a group with a bit less mercy than Twilight and her friends to be hot on his tail, this time with a bit of Equestrian military to solve any problems. The fighting had been escalating as unfinished models were forced out of Impulse Spark's make shift work shops, though all of that was starting to come to a halt as more of his "workers" were being arrested.

Impulse didn't have to wait long to be reunited with his first creation Zero, and the human that had set him down this path. It was an odd feeling, watching Zero stand shoulder to shoulder with the one that had ruined his family and finances. Both had helped to save Equestria from Flicker and now they were here to do the same once again, even Zero appeared to have skin, fur and facial expressions, though they were most likely a glamor of some kind.

"Just give up peacefully before the guards get here Impulse, you know how this will go down." Daniel said as he and Zero started to separate, approaching from two different sides.

"I've come to far to just give up to you now." Impulse replied as his façade of calm started to fade away trying to keep track of both of them. "You should be ashamed Zero, helping the human you were built to defeat."

Zero stopped and looked at Daniel before looking back to Impulse. "I'm more than what you made me to be. Just like you can be better than this, but you've hurt innocent ponies and have caused a lot of damage...please don't let anger blind you like it did Flicker or your father."

"One day you will both know of my pain...maybe not today, but soon..." Impulse smiled as his horn started to glow.

"Okay Zero we tried it your way, plan B?" Daniel asked.

"Plan B." Zero conceded before both darted towards the unicorn, Daniel catching a blast of magic as Zero slammed into his creator.

Daniel was quick to get back on his feet, which stunned and occupied Impulse before he received a muzzle full of metal from Zero as his hoof connected. The human was quick to join in the brawl, wasting little time on grabbing Impulse's horn and gripping it tightly, blocking the flow of magic from channeling through it. Impulse spat and cursed until he felt a solid fist from the human hit his barreled chest over and over.

"Ping Pong, go!" Zero shouted before Impulse was flung towards the metallic pegasus.

Impulse soon found himself being knocked back and forth between the pair before being bodied against the hard floor by Zero making his gasp for breath as his torture came to an end. It felt as if his entire body was on fire from pain, his nerves struggling to catch up to what the pair of Equestria's defenders had done to him as he lay spasming on the floor. He wanted to know how they were so monstrously strong, how Zero had become what he had envisioned, but only a whimper escaped his throat.

"Impulse Spark, you're a wanted fugitive...you're under arrest." Zero said looking down on his creator.

---

Five Months Later.

Isabella was resting peacefully after the birth of her twins. While there had been quite a bit of speculation over what the out come would be it was quite surprising when one appeared to be a normal human, while one was a perfectly normal unicorn...well, as normal as appearances go. Very early on, they had found out that this little filly had an odd magic trait. One that nopony seemed to be able to explain. Just one look into her eyes, at random times, could cause instant paralysis, which seemed to get stronger with each passing day.

Her human son seemed to be unusually strong for an infant, giving both of his parents a bit of trouble when being held, to the point earth pony maids had to be called to assist in normal activities. Isabella felt sure that it had to be her own fault for going on so many expeditions and joked that she may have picked up a curse or two from Earth. Still, she loved her children and named their son Hercules given his strength, and her love for myths and the past. While Blueblood named their daughter Iris trying to keep both of their bloodlines in mind.

Even as she rested she knew her brother and others were dealing with issues related to the lands that lay just beyond Equestria. The brief conflict with what remained of the Storm King's forces, and Impulse Spark's own interference had left them in bad shape. It was a bad situation for all the beings that called it home, and without any form of leadership the area would no doubt destabilize once again and it would be a problem that Isabella had seen time and again repeated from her own world. Fortunately, or unfortunately depending on who was asked, this hadn't gone unnoticed.

The human now found herself in an odd predicament being married to a prince who had been in talks with the leaders of Equestria, trying to come to a decision on the best course of action. Her brother had hero status, of course, but he had turned it down as they kind of predicted he would. Though he did promise to help in any way he could, which didn't solve the leadership issue. It was obvious all the princesses were a bit nervous about Blueblood being put in charge of a project this big, but it was reaching a point that decisive action needed to take place, and soon.

The other issue was that some in the court weren't thrilled about Isabella's presence, nor the union or resulting children and heirs that came with it. Some in the court had preferred the cocky, arrogant, and smug Blueblood as opposed to the tamer version that the human seemed to have brought out of the stallion. The old Blueblood was easy to predict, and easy to control and keep in line with rules, but this new outlook that the prince had seemed to stem from the ideas Isabella had or talked about from her old world.

In the end the courts that disliked Isabella had little say in Blueblood being put in charge of the Outlands, which would need a new name once everything had been settled and everything was back on track. Thankfully the prince's new outlook on life didn't leave him disillusioned with the circumstances. He was aware that he was being given a problem to solve that the others couldn't manage to shoulder the extra burden of their own leadership responsibilities and take on a new one. Isabella wasn't thrilled with the news either, for different reasons, but she did realize the need to step up in a time of need.

Most women from her world could only dream about being a princess, but she was having to start from the ground up with a prince. Isabella had been traveling most of her life, and had seen much of her own world, places that few could ever claim to have seen. Since knowledge was such a valuable tool for a career choice such as hers, she considered herself to be quite smart despite her spit fire attitude. Among the things she had a good grasp on, was the inner workings of politics which she was beginning to realize, she was going to have to utilize one way or the other now.

Isabella knew her history was filled with countless examples of leaders who had done well, but failed completely as parents, and the generation to come always seemed to suffer. As she held her children she had already started to map out in her mind what she needed to do. Her brother had helped regain the area, now she had to help do her part that had been asked of her.

Author's Note:

First hi again, and thanks for giving this a once over. I did give Isabella her own story once before but it was kind of a half hearted attempt at it and she wasn't really flushed out into her own yet. So I'm giving it another go.

Comments

[Hein des Nisseroi]

as unfinished models were forced out of Impulse Spark's make shift work shops

makeshift?

a bit of speculation over what the out come would be

outcome?

[Teraunce]

Isabella was resting peacefully after the birth of her twins. While there had been quite a bit of speculation over what the out come would be it was quite surprising when one appeared to be a normal human, while one was a perfectly normal unicorn...well, as normal as appearances go. Very early on, they had found out that this little filly had an odd magic trait. One that nopony seemed to be able to explain. Just one look into her eyes, at random times, could cause instant paralysis, which seemed to get stronger with each passing day.

That's what ya get for shape shifting while pregnant I suppose. Still quite unexpected.