//------------------------------//
// Loyalty Mission 5: Derpy's Quest Pt. 6 
// Story: Sparkle's No. 1 Assistant 
// by Wanderer D 
//------------------------------//


Sparkle's No. 1 Assistant


Loyalty Mission 5: Derpy's Quest Pt. 6



By Wanderer D






"To clarify, you are ultimately responsible for the safety and well-being of not only your whole species, but also that of every sapient being in Equestria."

Twilight nodded, smiling at EDI. "I only answer to the princesses themselves, who have no higher authority."

"In effect, you are the pony equivalent of a Specter," EDI responded. "Able to perform operations outside of the law for the greater good."

"Ehehehe," Wrex punched Twilight's shoulder. "She's the real deal, EDI. There are no council races here outside of us, so I decided that she's the first Pony Specter." He grinned. "We call them Algol, after the demon-stars back home and Twilight here was the first graduate. There were two other members of the team before Princess Celestia put it on hiatus, one of them is not up to par… the other…" Wrex chuckled. "We'll get her back soon. Princess Luna here decided it was time to bring it back."

EDI nodded. "It is somewhat reassuring that we will be working on similar levels of authority as we had before. Still, given that our current location is in another galaxy altogether, the validity of the title is, at best, questionable."

"Just wait until I have something to shoot at," Twilight said.

"I see that Wrex has had ample influence in your upbringing."

"It was the least I could do," Wrex said. "After all, it's not every day that a small unicorn filly can transform a full-grown krogan into a potato."

"What you're suggesting is impossible to do without killing you."

Wrex grinned. "Magic."

EDI leveled a look at him. "Regardless, it is interesting to note that despite the surplus of energy due to the Crucible's influence, my last logs indicate us still within the confines of the Milky Way before we crashed into this planet." She turned to look at Luna. "Unless this whole planet is a spaceship able to reach FTL speeds even above that of the Reapers, it would be impossible for us to be in an entirely different Galaxy. How is it then that we are in Andromeda?"

"Magic." Luna stated, meeting EDI's eyes with her own. "Our world, nay, our system is removed from the rest of the universe in which you reside. Millennia ago we used the light of four stars from different galaxies to open a gateway into a pocket dimension. These stars served as a locking mechanism for our system… when your 'Crucible' overrode the light of one of the stars which is presumably located in what you call the Milky Way galaxy, it created a wormhole through which your ship came through. We exist in a different time and space."

"Ultimately, this is something we can work on when we get back," Twilight spoke up, drawing the attention of all. "I've uploaded the information my omni-tool obtained earlier…"

"And I have already triangulated a possible location, based on that, Commander," EDI said. "We're ready to depart when you're ready."

"Eeeeeee!" Twilight's body shook as she held herself in place despite the rather extreme urge to prance in place. They started walking towards the cockpit. "Ahem, yes. That is good. And I am ready. Rainbow Dash is already at the pilot's seat, trying to figure it out… if you could give her some basic education I would appreciate it. The others are ready to go as well."

"From my records, spaceship pilots generally have initial issues thinking three-dimensionally," EDI commented, taking a seat at the cockpit, head tilting at Rainbow Dash's excited look. "But the pilots we know of so far have been unable to fly by their own means. Rainbow Dash will have a definite advantage on that front."

"Hay yeah!" Rainbow Dash grinned. "I'm the best flyer there ever was! I'm sure I can pilot this baby like there's no tomorrow."

"Good," Twilight said. "EDI will give you pointers as we go."

The group fell silent as the ship hummed with power and then shuddered as the thrusters slowly lifted it off the ground.

"Engines ready. Mass effect field functioning at optimal capacity. Long-range scanners activated, extrapolating data and triangulating position from mass effect distortions… Commander, we have our bearing."

"You can stop smiling now, Sparkle," Wrex said with a grin.

"Shut up, Wrex," Twilight grumbled, still smiling. "EDI? Take us there please."

"As you wish, Commander."

"Eeeeeee!"

EDI looked at Wrex, raising a metallic eyebrow.

"Eh. She'll get over it."





Derpy walked up and down the hangar, nervously looking at the equipment around. She had felt the ship humm and there was a sense of movement. Her instincts told her that they were already on their way, despite the lack of pressure or a feeling of displacement.

She glanced at the place she had retreated to in order to be alone. There was another, smaller vehicle in there, square and solid, much like the thing that had taken her Dinky away. In a way, it made her feel better to know they were on the right track… it was familiar technology, at least for Twilight, Wrex and EDI.

But on the other hoof, it just really brought down the reality that there were dangers out there that only ponies like Twilight, Octavia, Rarity, Vinyl, Rainbow Dash and… staggeringly… herself, would be able to face. Up until then, despite the good that they had achieved so far, Derpy herself felt that Twilight was just focusing on a power-trip.

Certainly, her attitude was nothing less than, well… suffice it to say that ponies had been fired for less. And arrested for less. And exiled to the moon for less. Okay, maybe that was a bit unfair, since Nightmare Moon was a bit of a special case, but still!

She sighed, walking up to sit next to a large control panel of some sort.

"Are you okay, Derpy?"

Derpy jumped in fright, staring at the semi-transparent white sphere that had appeared on top of the console. "E-EDI?" She asked, quickly making the connection. "But, aren't you upstairs with—"

"I am the ship," EDI explained. "And being an AI, I can process and perform several tasks concurrently."

Derpy smiled. "Really? That's impressive. What else are you doing?"

"Besides a conversation with you at the same time I pilot the ship," EDI said, "I am currently teaching piloting basics to Miss Dash; advicing Miss Scratch about the equipment in the lab; discuss weapon modifications with Miss Philharmonica, overseeing the Mass Effect… and Magical... fields with Princess Luna, and discussing possible scenarios with Commander Sparkle and Wrex."

"Oh." Derpy shuffled a bit.

"Is there a reason you chose to be in the shuttle bay?"

"I um… wanted to be alone for a bit. To think." Derpy leaned against the console.

The sphere seemed to consider her. "If you wish I can leave you alone, but my biometric scans indicate you are currently agitated. Considering the circumstances, perhaps I can help clarify any questions you might have."

Derpy sighed again. "I'm just coming to terms with my situation… I never intended to be a guard, or a soldier of any sort," she said, shifting in place. "Now look at me. I'm inside a Spaceship. Something that is so advanced technology wise it surpasses a lot of magic. I'm wearing armor and carrying weapons. I'm going to space to fight foalnappers… I…"

Derpy stood up turning slowly around, looking at the whole room and motioning at the whole thing with her wing.

"This is almost too much. I thought Twilight was just eccentric. I thought Wrex was just some unknown breed of dragon. I thought the technology was magical—Twilight is a very accomplished magician, student to Princess Celestia herself! I just never thought… I never thought you...all of this! I never thought it was real."

She snorted. "Or rather… I never wanted to believe it was real, despite the evidence." She looked up at the orb, which had stayed quiet through it all. "I'm just a mailmare. I deliver letters. Take my daughter to flute lessons. Volunteer to help in Ponyville… and now I'm here and I can't deny  that I'm not just that anymore." She bit her lip. "I can't go back now."

"Unexpected turns of fate are a normal occurrence in the life of organic creatures in my experience," EDI said. "It occurs to me that your story mirrors in a way what happened to at least two of my crewmates."

"Oh?" Derpy asked, ears perking.

"Indeed. Two of the most brilliant crewmembers: Tali'Zorah vas Normandy and Liara T'Soni were both civilians before joining Commander Shepard's team. Neither of them expected to lead a violent, if rewarding life, and yet, not only did they both rise to the occasion, they became leaders of their people."

"I don't think anypony would see a leader in me," Derpy said, chuckling. "So they started as what?"

"Dr. T'soni was a young archaeologist, studying Prothean ruins, and Tali'Zorah was on her Quarian Pilgrimage, she was also young, but still an extremely gifted engineer. Without either of them, Commander Shepard wouldn't have been able to achieve so much."

Derpy nodded. "Do you think… you could tell me more about them?"

"Of course."





Princess Luna's eyes remained on the star chart hologram on the bridge. She could feel the magic fields shift levels of subtlety as they left the magic-rich Equestria and emerged into space… deep space, where waves of magic—intangible to most and almost completely impossible to detect by technological means—fluctuated with incredible power.

The speed of the ship was baffling as it was—she was keenly in synchronization with Equestria and its pocket dimensional home—and now they were so far away already from it that it existed in her soul almost as a mere memory. Although that was more than enough for somepony like her.

"We do not have many charts for the Andromeda Galaxy," EDI's voice said, emanating from the console to her left. "As such, we are flying mostly blind. I am scanning for signals and following the Mass Effect emanations from the Kodiak that took Dinky."

"Fear not, noble EDI, for I am sure we shall find the miscreants and teach them the true meaning of suffering."

EDI seemed to contemplate Luna's words. "If you say so, Princess. It will please you to know then that we are approaching the ship that took Dinky."

Luna's eyes were wide. "So quickly?! Verily, thy speed is most impressive." She coughed. "Sorry. I tend to regain my antiquated mode of speech when surprised. It took me a long time to even get it right back when language such as that became formal rather than informal."

"I take no offense, your highness." EDI replied. There was a pause. "There seems to be a problem, however. The ship we tracked was destroyed before our arrival," she added from her physical platform as she, Twilight, Wrex and Rainbow Dash approached the bridge.

Behind her, the side doors opened and Octavia trotted out, frowning with worry, while Vinyl Scratch emerged from the lab area, wearing a similar expression. Finally, the elevator opened and Derpy flew out, a horrified look in her face. "How could it be destroyed?! She stammered. "Why?!"

"We don't know," Twilight said, eyes roaming the hologram of the debris of a large ship that EDI projected for them. "But we will find out."

"Commander," EDI spoke up. "I have detected a life signal," she motioned at the hologram, which shifted and turned, focusing on a small pod-like ship of some sort. "Whoever or whatever is in there hasn't activated the emergency signal, but my scanners had detected a single living being in there…"

Twilight took a deep breath. "Bring it in."