Sparkle's No. 1 Assistant

by Wanderer D

Loyalty Mission 5: Derpy's Quest Pt. 3

"Miss Sunset?" Dinky asked.

"Yes, Dinky?"

"Why can't I understand what they're saying, but I can understand you?"

Sunset chuckled. "Well, I speak Equestrian, as for them… we all have these things…" She summoned her omni-tool. "It's called—"

"An omni-tool! Dinky's eyes were wide. "So those really were Krogans!"

Sunset paused. She then blinked. "Wait, how do you know what these are and what Krogans look like?"

Dinky smiled. "Oh, Commander Sparkle talked all about it today in class! She said her friend Wrex taught Rainbow Dash how to use Krogan Dropship tactics!"

"I take it this Rainbow Dash is a pegasus?"

Dinky nodded.

"Oh goddess, the possibilities for damage…" Sunset muttered, trying to contain a smirk. She then frowned. "Wait, so if you have already met a Krogan, why don't you have an omni-tool? I would have expected the Council Races to have given you all some when you joined…"

"What's a council race?" Dinky asked. "The only ponies that have omni-tools are Commander Sparkle's team! Like my mom!"

"Okay, I'm missing something here. Who is Commander Sparkle? Is she a human?"

"Nope! Commander Sparkle is a unicorn! She was Celestia's student, and then I think she also was taught how to fight by Wrex! She really admires some human called Commander Shepard though, she told us that Shepard fought the Rea—" She suddenly found her mouth covered by Sunset's hand.

"Uh yeah," Sunset chuckled. "Shepard, of course. Uh, how about we don't talk about that stuff right now?"

They were further interrupted by the approach of Liam. "Everything okay, Ryder? We haven't understood a word since you started speaking horse."

Sunset frowned. "It's not 'horse', it's Equestrian and it is an ancient language with nuances and a lot of history!"

Liam gave her a steady look. "Which only you and your friend the mini-unicorn speak," he pointed out. "Not to mention that she said something that made you go really pale."

"Well, whatever it is, we can talk about it later. We should get going, we don't know when those pirates will come back," Vetra pointed out. "Although it is rather cute to see you cuddling a tiny fluffy quadruped."

"Fine fine," Sunset muttered. "But we need to do something about communicating… I don't suppose either of you have extra omni-tools?"

"For a horse?" Vetra deadpanned. "No. And I don't bring extras either. Why do you even want one?"

"Unicorn. Besides, look at her... Dinky here would be a lot more comfortable if we could understand each other."

Liam looked down at the little unicorn which looked back up at him with big, puppy eyes. "I—"

[If I may, Pathfinder,] SAM spoke up. [My initial scan did detect some Angaran artifacts on the ship, including some of their own scanners.]

Liam glanced around eager to escape the cute attack. "Hey, SAM's right, that crate over here looks Angaran." He walked over and opened it, glancing inside and pulling out one of the scanners. "It has straps, so we could fit it around one of her hooves or around her neck. Might be easier."

"Hooves," Sunset said immediately. "I won't have a unicorn leashed like a pet."

"Geez, I was joking," Liam said, waving his hands.

"You know it was a joke, Sarah," Vetra said, giving her a stern look. "No need to get so aggravated about it. You're taking this a bit personal."

Sunset looked down. "Look, there's a lot I haven't told you guys, alright?"

"Like speaking horse?" Liam asked, carefully wrapping the scanner around Dinky's hoof and making sure it was tight.

"Equestrian."

"Or how familiar you are with, uh… unicorns... that your body-language changed?" Vetra asked a bit more quietly. "We're not just giving you a hard time, Sarah, we're worried. You're family."

"I know," Sunset sighed.

[Pathfinder.] SAM spoke up, making Dinky jump and look around wildly, now able to hear him through the transmitters in the scanner. [Now that the Angaran bio-connection has been established with Dinky. I could start working on translation, which might take several months given that she has no language data to transmit, unlike the Angara.]

Sunset rolled her eyes. "I can hear the 'but' in there, SAM. Out with it."

[There might be an alternative. If the Pathfinder permits, I am able to access your memories in learning this language to correlate the language into a functioning dictionary for your omni-tools. The memories would only be accessed by me.]

Sunset gulped. "There's a lot hidden there, SAM. Stuff that I have protected to the best of my ability."

[I am well aware of that, Pathfinder,] SAM replied. [For instance, I have no available information on how you are able to speak Equestrian fluently.]

Sunset glanced at the others. "SAM, this is a very personal, personal thing. Those memories… I've locked them in a very specific way... even the Archon couldn't see them for a reason."

[If we do not do this, Dinky will only be able to communicate with you alone for the foreseeable future.]

Sunset looked down at Dinky, who was giving everyone confused looks. She sighed. "Fine."

Liam and Vetra smiled encouragingly.

[Pathfinder, I still need you to unlock the memories.]

Sunset cringed, then carefully moved a finger up to her forehead and closed her eyes. A soft, orange aura enveloped her, making Dinky's eyes grow wide with excitement, while Liam and Vetra looked confused.

"I thought biotics were supposed to be bluish?" Liam asked.

[Accessing memories,] SAM said. [Pathfinder I have found the relevant memories to...]

The group waited patiently for a few seconds after the AI had trailed off before all four shuffled uncomfortably at the prolonged silence.

"Um. SAM?" Vetra asked.

"Oh great," Sunset muttered. "I broke him."

"Damn. You broke the most advanced AI known with a single memory?" Liam asked, shaking his head in disbelief. "That must be some memory. I'm almost afraid to ask… but tell me, it's your prom night memory, right?"

Sunset gave him a dirty look and Liam could only grin sheepishly in response.

"Seriously, SAM?" Sunset asked again.

[I am here… Sunset.] SAM replied a little hesitantly. [The revelations from your memory put a lot of things into perspective.]

Vetra gave her a look, and her lower mandibles fluttered a little. "Sunset?"

Sunset cleared her name. "Um. My name. My uh… real name. I left behind."

"You and I have a lot to talk about."

"Only you?" Liam asked. "I think the whole of the Tempest will want to hear about this when we get back."

"Geez, no pressure then."

A childish voice interrupted their banter. "Miss Sunset? What's wrong?"

The three adults turned to look at Dinky.

"Can you… understand us now?" Liam asked slowly.

Dinky nodded. "Um. Yes… I think this thing on my hoof is what makes it work?"

"That's right," Vetra said gently, kneeling down, her tall frame still imposing to the little unicorn. "It's called an Angaran Scanner, and it is very similar to our omni-tools. It allows us to exchange translation software really quickly with other species so that their scanner, or our omni-tool allows us to hear a correct translation of what they're saying."

"So you're not speaking Equestrian?" Dinky asked.

"Nope."

"Well, well, well," a voice interrupted, resonating all over the cargo bay. "What do we have here? Stowaways?"

"Dinky," Sunset whispered. "Quickly, jump in the crate where we came from. Don't come out until one of us tells you to."

Dinky did as told, running to hide inside the big metallic box, peeking out when the voice spoke again.

"If it isn't the Pathfinder."

Dinky looked up to see some sort of flat surface made of light appear hovering above them, a lady looking to be the same species as Sunset appeared, or, well she looked very similar, only she was blue and had no hair, but rather some sort of tentacle things growing from her head.

"Why must you mess with my plans all the time?!" the woman asked.

"Hmm. That asari looks familiar," Sunset muttered.

"Isn't she the one you met on the wind farm? In Kadara?" Liam asked.

"Is she?" Vetra tilted her head. "Huh. She does have that air of incompetence about her."

"Honestly I had completely forgotten her…" Sunset said, grinning sheepishly at the image of the woman, who seemed to be getting a shade darker. "Listen, uh… you. I think I sort of remember wanting to punch your face once, were you the bitch that wanted to blow up the Nexus with some bomb before I took down your entire operation?"

"Yes I am!" The asari shouted. "And my name i—" whatever she was going to say was interrupted by the sound of a gunshot and the projector and speaker exploding.

"What?" Vetra asked, looking genuinely surprised when everyone else slowly turned to look at her. "Isn't it tradition to shoot the bad guy in the face?"

The colossal green dragon glared at most of the ponies below him. In all fairness, Octavia, Derpy, Vinyl, Rarity and Rainbow Dash handled themselves quite well for never having seen one up close.

"You guys can really let go now," Twilight grumbled. "I'm all for this kind of situation when you're also not choking the life out of me."

"Agreed." Luna remarked.

Wrex simply chuckled at the five mares who were latching onto the Princess and Twilight as if their lives depended on it.

"Grumble."

"Wrex," the dragon replied, nodding slightly. "Sparkle."

"Hey Grumble," Twilight forced a smile.

"We're gonna need to get through your liar to my ship," Wrex explained matter-of-factly, "Hope you don't mind."

The dragon snorted, moving its massive body out of the way. "It's not like I have much of a choice. Make sure you don't touch anything, especially you," he growled at Rarity. "I can see you eyeing my collection."

"But it's… it's so beautiful!" Rarity complained as Wrex picked her up and walked through a small path made between the mountains of gold coins and gems.

"And it still will be here when we get back," Wrex said. "Not that you'll get your hooves on any of it."

Rarity slumped in his grasp, giving him a glare. "Spoilsport."

"Ehehehe."

A little behind them, Luna walked, leading the slightly-less-terrified mares next to Twilight. "I must admit," Luna said, with some grudging respect. "We-I never expected Algol to be that well protected, given… well, my sister's rather naive approach to dealing with danger."

"She's not that bad," Twilight replied with a shrug, then relented under Luna's gaze. "Okay, she is, but she now has me and the others.. and you. And Wrex. I'm sure Grumble here would lend a claw or two if asked."

"For a price," Grumble grumbled from high above.

"..for a price," Twilight agreed.

The group soon emerged from the vast treasure into an empty part of the cavern, where a tunnel slightly bigger than Wrex opened into the darkness of the mountain below. After a few minutes walking down the tunnel, the group finally relaxed a little.

"Ally or not," Octavia pointed out, "Grumble is almost as intimidating as Wrex."

Wrex chuckled.

"You know you can put me down now," Rarity muttered.

"I know," Wrex said, not doing so.

Eventually they reached a large cavern overlooking something that made all of the gathered mares, with the exception of Twilight, gasp.

"W-what is that?!" Vinyl said, eyes so wide her eyebrows went over her sunglasses.

"That," Wrex said. "Is the Normandy SR-2, welcome from my home away from home away from Tuchanka."