//------------------------------// // Sunset // Story: Remnants of Equestria: SSTT // by chillbook1 //------------------------------// Twilight stared at the box in front of her with a mix of shock, nostalgia, and dread. She hardly processed her Team talking around her, all of her mind devoted to the contents of the large box. She thought that it was gone. She thought she’d never see it again. “Hey, Sparkster,” said Sunset, just noticing her partner’s preoccupation. “What’s that?” “You’ve been staring for ten minutes,” added Starlight. Trixie just kept talking as if nothing had changed. “I just got a package from my brother,” said Twilight, her breath catching in her throat. “I think it might be my dad’s stuff.” Now, Sunset was very interested. She still wasn’t sure about Twilight’s father, but this would be a great way to potentially get some answers. Twilight obviously thought the same. “Well? What are you waiting for?” Sunset tapped her wrist impatiently. “Open the freaking box!” Twilight gulped, then pulled off the top. She was prepared for a lot of things to be in that box. It could’ve been anything. She was expecting a collection of books or notes from her parents from before their disappearance. What she wasn’t expecting was the pair of long, thin, rounded rectangles that sat atop a bed of assorted documents. Hands trembling, Twilight lifted them both from the box, laying them gently onto the floor. “What’s that?” asked Sunset. “My dad’s weapons,” whispered Twilight. One was longer than the other by a sizable amount. They appeared to be sheathed swords, the longer one decorated silver with a light streak of purple down the edge. The other, shorter sword was glistening bright blue, shining and twinkling in the light. “Daishō,” said Trixie. The three others looked at her in confusion. “The swords. They are daishō. It means ‘big-little’.” Still, no one reacted. “Is Trixie the only one who does her Weapons History homework?” “You’re the only one who takes that class this semester,” remarked Starlight. “I know what the weapons are called, obviously,” said Twilight. “I’m just surprised that you do.” “And these are your dad’s?” asked Sunset. Twilight nodded. “The shōtō is Halley,” said Twilight. She lifted it and pulled the sword slowly from its sheath. The blade was just as shining and blue as its sheath. “Named after the comet. The daitō is Velvet.” “Your mom,” noted Sunset. “His true loves. Astronomy and my mother.” Twilight returned Halley to the ground, then grabbed Velvet and raised it up. She loved this weapon probably the most out of any weapon she had ever seen. “Brace yourselves.” Without giving her team a chance to do as she instructed, she wrenched the sword from its sheath. As soon as the sword was away from the sheath, the room trembled as if a bomb had been dropped. Everything lurched forward, some things more affected than others (Starlight merely lurched forward, whereas Trixie literally fell forward out of her seat). “What the hell?” Sunset clutched her chest. “What was that? The sword?!” “It was. It uses your Aura to manipulate gravity,” giggled Twilight. “The edge can surround itself with your Aura, too. It helps it cut through just about anything. Then, when you sheath it…” She slammed the katana back into its home, and a similar blast burst outwards. This time, everyone fell backwards, launching the documents from the box into the air (and shattering the bedroom window). “I don’t know how to use it, obviously,” said Twilight sheepishly. One of the papers caught her eye; As opposed to the others, which were typed, this one was handwritten. Immediately, Twilight recognized who it was from, and snatched it up. The paper seemed to be a series of math problems, several of them unsolved. The unsolved ones were random, and out of order, which wasn’t like Night Light at all. On the rare instance in which he struggled with an equation, he stopped everything until he solved it. “He left me a code,” said Twilight. “Someone, give me a pen, and a sheet of scrap paper.” Starlight pulled a pen from her pocket and tossed it to Twilight, while Sunset reached under her bed, grabbed her diary, and tore a sheet from the back. As soon as Twilight had the materials in her hands, she began solving the equations. “It looks as though your father left you math homework,” said Trixie. “My dad was working on these, but he didn’t finish some,” explained Twilight. “He should have had no problem with them, so I reason that he left them blank intentionally. Why would he do that?” “He wanted someone else to solve em,” said Sunset. Twilight nodded in agreement. “I believe that, once I have solved all of the equations that he left blank, I will have the key to a code of some sorts. Now shush and let me focus.” Team SSTT watched as their most studious member poured over her work. The only sounds were the scratching of pen on paper and Twilight’s occasional hum or grunt of thought. After ten minutes of silent concentration, Twilight set her pen down and held the paper up in triumph. She looked at the numbers for a second, and then instantly understood. “Yes! I figured it out! Quick, another piece of paper!” demanded Twilight. Sunset supplied her with another torn sheet. “Look, look, the answers to the blank questions tell you which question to go to to find a letter in a string.” Her team didn’t follow, much to Twilight’s annoyance. “Look, the nineteenth question. The solution is x equals four. Which means we go to the fourth equation.” “The answer to the fourth equation is r equals negative two,” read Sunset. “So the negative second letter is r?” “No, no, no, you’re thinking too much. Nineteen is the first question that he didn’t answer, so the first letter is r. Somebody write that down.” “On it,” said Starlight. She actually did one better, and typed it into her Scroll’s notepad. “Keep going.” “Twenty-six is a is equal to thirty-six.” said Twilight. “Thirty-six is ‘E’.” Sunset pointed to the equation. “Got it.” Starlight and Trixie had no real dog in this race, but even they were getting excited. “What’s next?” And so this continued for several minutes. Twilight had no clue what she was about to uncover, but she knew it was important. Some small part of her mind understood that she could very well be on the cusp of learning something she could live without knowing. This could be evidence of her father’s death, or worse, his betrayal. Still, she couldn’t bear not knowing. Even if it was terrible, Twilight wanted to know for sure. “And the last letter is d,” said Twilight finally. “Starlight, read that out to me, please.” “Return to the place where Legends are Bred,” recited Starlight. Twilight literally jumped with joy, punching the sky. “Quickly, a Scroll, gimme, gimme, gimme!” Starlight hesitated for a fraction of a second, then tossed Twilight her Scroll. She tapped through the menu, eventually sending out a call to the Headmistress’ Office. Once the call was dialing, Twilight gave it to Sunset. “Request an audience with Professor Celestia,” said Twilight. Sunset shrugged, but brought the Scroll to her ear nonetheless. “Hello, Professor Celestia speaking.” “Hey, Professor. Sunset Shimmer of Team SSTT,” said Sunset. “We’d like to talk to you, if you don’t mind. We’ve come across… Well, something. We think it might have something to do with Night Light’s disappearance.” “I see. Bring what you’ve found with you to my office. I await your arrival.” Celestia disconnected the line. Twilight grabbed her dad’s swords, as well the notes and the code. “What just happened?” asked Trixie. “I’m not really sure,” said Sunset. “But I think we’re about to go out on our first real mission.” She grinned widely. “Well, Team. Let’s go! We have a meeting with the Headmistress.” The elevator’s door slid open, letting Team SSTT step out and into the Headmistress’ office. Only Trixie had been there before (several times after fights with other students), so the other three were awestruck. The room was vast and round, intricately decorated on three fronts: the ceiling, the floor, and the walls. The floor displayed an ornate celestial map, detailing hundreds upon thousands of constellations of stars. The ceiling had the gears, arms, and symbols of a very complex astronomical clock (it seemed to actually work, too). The walls were of mosaic glass panels, each showing the image of a zodiac sign. The Headmistress of Beacon Academy sat at her desk (in front of the Leo panel), filling a mug with coffee from a kettle. A bit to the side was Professor Luna, standing in front of the Libra window, her arms crossed over her chest and an expectant look on her face. “Team SSTT,” noted Luna simply. “Please, come in, come in,” said Celestia. She spoke cheerily, but still with a tone of urgency. “We have much to discuss.” Twilight stepped forward first, clutching her father’s weapons tightly to her chest. Her Team followed close behind, but chose to let Twilight explain. She seemed to understand the situation best. “My brother sent me a box containing my father’s swords, and a set of notes,” explained Twilight. “At first, it just seemed like things he was working on. Upon further inspection, it showed to be a code that I believe he left to direct whoever found it to his location.” “I see,” said Celestia. “If you wouldn’t mind terribly, I would like to look over them before I send them into a code breaker.” “Actually, I’ve already cracked the code.” Celestia raised a questioning eyebrow, but didn’t interrupt. “It says ‘Return to the place where Legends are Bred’. Don’t worry, I know what that means. I’m convinced that my father is, or was, on the island of Menagerie.” “How do you figure that, Sparks?” asked Sunset. “The term ‘where Legends are Bred’ is something my father would often say in regards to the island. He read me poems and stories about the Legends’ Breeding Ground. He said he’d like to visit some day, and I believe that he escaped capture to Menagerie and, for whatever reason, cannot escape or contact society.” “Are you sure of this?” asked Luna. “Come, sister, look at the girl,” said Celestia with a small smile. “That is not the look of a girl with any reservations. That is the look of a girl with certainty. A girl who has a goal and is willing to do anything to achieve it.” “We’re going to go rescue him?” asked Starlight. “That sounds dangerous.” “It would be. Menagerie is a dangerous place.” Celestia took a sip of her coffee. “Plenty of dangerous Grimm, with nothing to hold them back or restrain them. I would not recommend that anyone take a visit, let alone a first year student.” Twilight all but ignored the professor. She was aware of the danger, and she was aware of the resistance she would face from Celestia. She was also determined to make it to Menagerie. “With all due respect, Professor, I’m not especially concerned by wild Grimm,” said Twilight. “I’m not sure if you’re aware, but my Team has some of the strongest Beacon has to offer. Sunset is a great leader, perhaps an even better fighter, Starlight is a match for Sunset, and her weapon/Semblance combination is even more versatile, and Trixie has tricks up her sleeve that even we don’t know about. Combine that with my admittedly extensive knowledge of Grimm biology and Menagerie’s geography, as well as my Dust know-how, I believe that-” “That’s not what she’s worried about,” Sunset interrupted. Twilight turned and stared in confusion. “Well, it’s not, is it? Back me up here, Prof.” Celestia didn’t respond, so Sunset decided to take that as confirmation. “What do you know about Menagerie, Glim?” “Large island off the coast of Mistral,” recited Starlight, off of memory. “Originally something of a Faunus prison island, the epicenter of the Faunus Rights Revolution, and a safe haven for bandits, killers, terrorists, and, supposedly, the White Fang.” “We can handle some White Fang, I’m sure,” said Twilight. “As I said before-” “Are you dense, Twilight Sparkle?” This time, Trixie was the one who cut in. “That is not the issue either.” “If Menagerie is an island of Huntsmen who lost their way,” said Sunset. “Why would your dad be there?” The pieces slowly fell into place, and Twilight was unfamiliarly gripped with anger. She felt herself squeeze the swords in her hand tightly. “What exactly are you implying, Professor?” asked Twilight. “Because, based on what my Team is saying, you all seem deluded with the idea that my father is a criminal.” “Twilight, I have quite a bit of faith and trust in Night Light,” said Celestia carefully. “I know him to be a good man with a good heart and an even better mind. However…” “Your father is intelligent and skilled. It would be foolish of us not to consider that he may have defected,” said Luna. “He didn’t. I know he didn’t.” Twilight didn’t know how she knew, but she did. Something in her heart told her that her father was a good man, and she wasn’t about to let anyone tell her otherwise. “I want to believe that, Twilight. I really do,” said Celestia. “But I cannot know for sure.” “Let me prove it. Let me bring him back and prove that he’s a good man.” Celestia glanced at her sister for just a moment, reading on her face the same realization that she had already made; Twilight Sparkle was just like her father, and she would stop at nothing to prove herself right. “Professor Luna, please escort Sunset, Starlight, and Trixie back to their dormitory,” said Celestia. Luna nodded, then crossed the room in a few long strides. “Come, students,” said Luna. “We’re not just going to leave Twilight here,” said Sunset. “That is not for you to decide. Go.” Luna shepherded the three remaining Huntresses into the elevator. She met eyes with her sister again just before the door closed. Celestia made no change in expression, but Luna recognized that she was about to make a very drastic decision. “Professor, I-” Twilight began. She was halted by the Headmistress’ raised palm. Celestia produced another mug from her desk, then filled it from the kettle. “Would you care for some coffee?” offered Celestia. Twilight didn’t react immediately. “Well, you must be tired. When was the last time you had a normal night of sleep, Twilight Sparkle?” “I don’t really see what that has to do with the situation,” said Twilight. “You’re tired. As a result, you are not considering all of the possibilities,” said Celestia. She took a deep sip of her coffee. “You are only considering that you are correct. However likely that may be, you must consider that you may be wrong. Again, I do not believe Night Light to be impure or corrupt. I just fear that you are creating a god out of a man who can just as easily be a devil.” Twilight remained silent. She didn’t want to disrespect Professor Celestia, far from it. Twilight just didn’t know what to do with this, and she could only think of rude things to say. Celestia noted her student’s silence, then inexplicably reached into her drawer and withdrew her wallet. “Even if I was 100% confident that Night Light can be rescued, I could not possibly allow such inexperienced Huntresses to be the ones to do the rescuing,” said Celestia. She withdrew a small card with her picture and a barcode on the face, setting it down on the table. “I cannot clear a Bullhead pilot to drop you on the island of Menagerie. Even an automated one would not bring you.” “But, ma’am, I-” “Please let me finish, Twilight, I was about to ask you a favor,” said Celestia. She took another sip of her coffee. “I need to ask that you inform me if you come across my Bullhead pass. I seem to have misplaced it. As you no doubt are aware, that pass gives me free reign over almost all of Remnant. If it were to fall into the wrong hands, a student could do something as foolish as… say, take a trip to Menagerie.” Twilight blinked, staring at Professor Celestia curiously. Celestia gave a small smile and swivelled her seat around, sipping her coffee quietly. “Professor Celestia?” said Twilight. “Are you… Are you trying to tell me to take the card?” Celestia chuckled. “Of course not, Twilight. That would be reprimandable. In fact, if I were to find out that a student took the card to take a trip to Menagerie, I would have no choice but to give that student some form of detention, perhaps an extended study program under my teaching. That student would have to decide how much that detention is worth it. They would also have to decide how they want to experience a possible dark truth: First hand or through the filters of those more mentally and emotionally equipped.” Twilight nodded, knowing that Celestia couldn’t see her. It was mostly to psyche herself up. Even though she wanted to find her father more than anything, she was scared. Maybe Celestia was right. Maybe her father wasn’t as amazing as she thought. But she would hate herself if she didn’t find out for sure. “Thank you for your consideration, Professor,” said Twilight, swiping the Bullhead pass. “And I appreciate your advice.” “Of course, Ms. Sparkle. Anytime,” said Celestia. “Please, take the coffee. You may well need it.” Twilight nodded, and grabbed the mug from the desk, taking a deep sip of the dark, bitter drink. It was both hot and refreshing, and Twilight finished the mug in a few moments. With a new sort of energy, Twilight set off for the elevator, pulling out her Scroll and dialing Sunset’s number. “Meet me in the locker room,” said Twilight, stepping into the elevator. “Send Trixie to gather food and supplies. We have a day and a half long trip ahead of us.” The Bullhead hovered over the swampy marshland for just a minute before flying off to the designated landing point a few hundred kilometers north. Team SSTT, safely down below on the ground, would need to send a call in for it to come back and pick them up, hopefully with Night Light in tow. Sunset stood with her guitar strap slung over her shoulder, straining all four of her ears for some sort of noise. The rest of the team stood just behind her, doing last minute checks of their weapons. Twilight especially took a moment to tighten the straps that kept her father’s daishō attached to her hip and back. If she had to use either, she would more than likely reach for Halley on her back. At least she knew how to properly wield that one. It was more like her own dagger than anything once she thought about it. “Alright, Team,” said Sunset. “This is the southeastern end of the island. If Night Light is anywhere, then he’s going to be closer to the center. So, we head northwest. Anyone got a compass?” Trixie flicked her wrist, a compass sliding into her palm. She handed it to Sunset, then withdrew her wand and a playing card from her sleeve. “Let’s go,” said Sunset. She was a perfect fit for leader: calm and steady, even in this dangerous and unknown situation. She led them forward through the dark, dank mud and brush in the direction of northwest. “What should we expect?” asked Trixie. “Not that Trixie is concerned. The Great Trixie can take on all the dangers that this dirty, muddy, mucky swamp has to offer!” “Trixie, I will burn you alive,” snapped Starlight. “We’re supposed to be avoiding the enemy, not attracting them!” “Mistral is known for a large population of Creep and King Taijitu,” said Twilight. “The occasional Boarbatusk wouldn’t be out of place, either. Strangely, Mistral has a far more consistent mix of Grimm when compared to Vale, which has a bit of everything, but in much larger numbers. I imagine Menagerie is no different.” “Tips and tricks?” requested Sunset. “Creeps have poor balance. A good push can send them right on their side. Taijitu, as you might recall, have thick scales but soft, gooey eyes. And their teeth can be shattered with a bit of effort. As for Boarbatusks, they are far quicker than you would think at a glance. Very, very thick back armor, so go for the belly.” “Anything for rogue Huntsmen?” asked Starlight. Twilight thought on it for a second, then nodded in confirmation. “Ask them to make it quick.” “And on that depressing note, we should really shut up,” said Sunset. “This island isn’t that big. The enemy can be anywhere.” No sooner did Sunset speak, a roar echoed throughout the trees that surrounded the team. Each of them drew their weapons, with the exception of Trixie, who put her hands on her hips and laughed heartily. “Looks like you’ve angered fate, Sunset,” said Trixie, drawing a card and slipping it into her hand. “Good thing I am well versed in fate’s ways. I’d say-” “Just shut up and fight, Lulamoon,” said Starlight. Trixie deflated slightly, some of her joyful pride replaced with burning anger. “When the Grimm are finished with, Trixie will deal with you, Starlight Glimmer,” growled Trixie. A large, two-legged Grimm leapt from the brush, roaring loudly to alert its kin. The Creep snarled, snapping its jaws and swinging its tail menacingly. This one was older, as evidenced by its intelligence. It saw that it was outnumbered and, rather than attack now and risk its own life, it would wait for reinforcements to level the playing field. “You wanna take this one, Sparks?” offered Sunset. “Try out your dad’s swords?” Twilight nodded, gripping the handle of Halley. Three more Creeps emerged, standing behind the first. Twilight walked forward slowly, pulling the short blade from its sheath. The shining blue blade instantly sapped a small amount of her energy, just enough for her to notice, and used it to coat its edge. Twilight grinned, gripped the sword with both hands, and grounded her feet down. She took a step and shot forward, holding the sword out in front of her. The tip cracked through the boney mask of the first Grimm, killing it immediately. Quickly, Twilight grabbed Velvet with her other hand and wrenched it from its home. The resulting pull of gravity yanked the remaining Grimm forward, knocking them on their sides. Twilight crouched slightly and spun on her heel with her sword down at a slight angle, splitting the Grimm right down the middle. When she sheathed the weapon, Grimm halves went flying. “That… That was amazing…” panted Twilight. “And exhausting. But mostly amazing.” She collected Halley from the ground. “I shouldn’t do that again. It used up a lot of Aura.” “It was cool to look at, though,” said Sunset. “Fine. Twi, stay near the back, I want Glim and Trix on either side. We’ll walk for twenty minutes, then we’ll take a rest. Ready? Let’s go.” Eight large tents sat in a large clearing amongst the marshy brush, several yards away from one another. After watching from a tree for the last three hours, Starlight Glimmer decided that the rearmost tent was likely where Night Light was. It was furthest from the others, and the only one that was consistently guarded. Two armed White Fang were posted outside at all times, clutching their guns in wait for some sort of disturbance. Starlight ruled out the idea that the tent in question held any sort of physical goods, based on the lack of traffic to it. The only time any other member of the criminal organization found their way over there was to switch out shifts, and that only happened the once. Starlight slid down her tree and trekked back about a quarter mile, where her team had set up camp. She sat down and gratefully accepted the granola bar that Trixie handed her. “Southernmost tent seems to be the one,” reported Starlight, chewing on her snack. “They seem to swap shifts every couple of hours, so we wait for the next set of guards, knock em out, and then investigate.” “Good work, Glim,” said Sunset. “It’s about crunch-time, team. If you’re ready to go, we can move out now.” “Is this really a first mission worthy of the great Team SSTT?” asked Trixie. “This is horribly easy! Trixie could have done this rescue by herself!” “There’s still a lot of time for things to go wrong,” said Twilight. “And besides, this isn’t about glory. This is isn’t even just about my dad. This is about doing our jobs and becoming the very best Huntresses we can be.” “Let’s go,” said Sunset. She reached into her pocket and withdrew two guitar strings, one of which she handed to Trixie. The team marched forward silently for a quarter mile until they reached the clearing that Starlight found. After a few minutes of silent patience, the two guards checked their watches and walked off. New guards would be there soon, so Trixie and Sunset would need to move quickly. They crossed to either side of the tent, waiting patiently. Two new White Fang guards marched over to the tent’s entrance. As soon as they went to turn and face the rest of the camp, Trixie and Sunset rushed into action. They wrapped their guitar strings tightly around their targets’ neck, choking them into unconsciousness. Starlight and Twilight hurried over and helped drag the two bodies into the tent. Twilight looked up, not knowing how to react to what she saw. Strangely, the first thing Twilight noticed was his hair. It was far messier and longer than he would ever let it get. It was only after she absorbed that did she notice that one of his pony ears was missing. She lost all breath at that, and things only got worse as she looked. The navy dress shirt he always wore was torn in several places, exposing gnarly scars on his back. While Night Light never looked up from whatever he was working on at the table he sat before, Twilight compared him to her memories. This man seemed so much thinner, more broken. “Ugh. If you truly want me to finish the damn repairs, perhaps you should let me work!” complained Night Light. “I can only work at half my normal speed, thank you very much.” “D-daddy?” Twilight couldn’t stop it from leaving her mouth. Night Light froze in mid-movement, then slowly turned around. Twilight was at the point of tears before, and she was truly shocked she didn’t break down upon seeing her father from the front. He had lost a lot of weight since she last saw him, and he wasn’t especially large to begin with. He had a few new scars on his face, and his glasses were cracked. Twilight didn’t notice any of that. “Twilight?” said Night Light with a small grin. “Holy heaven, you’ve gotten big.” “Dad… Your… Your arm…” stammered Twilight, pointing. Night Light looked at his left shoulder, which was devoid of the limb in question. He sighed deeply, touching his stump with his existing hand. “There was no way to leave that in code, I’m afraid. Yes, I lost my left arm. But don’t worry, Twilight,” said Night Light. He grinned manically. “I’m all right now!” Twilight bit her lip in an attempt to keep it in, but soon failed, and her giggles filled the tent. “Dad, that’s not funny! Your ear, too. Dad, what happened to you?” “I pissed off some White Fang and they fed it to a Boarbatusk. But it’s okay, baby girl. I have ears to spare.” “Ahem,” coughed Sunset. Night looked up, just noticing the girls around his daughter. Something about Sunset struck him as familiar, but he couldn’t quite say why. “Oh? So this is your team?” asked Night Light. “Introductions are in order, I believe. I’m Twily-bug’s father, Night Light.” “D-dad!” stammered Twilight, trying to ignore the snickering of her team. “Must you really do the pet name thing? Now?” “The angry one is Starlight Glimmer, the idiot is Trixie Lulamoon,” said Sunset. “And I’m Sunset Shimmer. I actually already know you.” “Sunset Shimmer… Sunset Shimmer… Oh! Star and Blaze’s kid!” Night deflated slightly. “Oh. I’m… I’m so sorry. They were good Huntsmen, and they didn’t deserve to die just yet. They had many more good years in them. If only I would have been able to act…” “Wait, wait, what? They’re not dead. My dad’s injured really badly, but he’s alive, and my mom’s perfectly fine. She’s on a mission right now.” Night Light’s eyes grew wide. “In that case, I owe someone 50 Lien,” said Night in awe. “A little wager between Blaze and I.” “Trixie hates to interrupt this horribly sweet moment,” Trixie cut in. “But this is neither the time nor the place to be doing this. We need to be getting out of here!” “Right, yes, Ms. Lulamoon is correct. We need to leave. I take it you have a Bullhead on standby?” asked Night. “We can call one. It’ll be here in a few minutes,” said Twilight. She unstrapped her father’s swords from her person. “Here. You might want this.” Night shook his head. “Inhibitor,” he pointed at a small patch on his neck. “My precious Velvet is basically useless right now.” “Trixie can help,” said Trixie. She pulled out her Scroll and quickly began hacking the Inhibitor app. “You can hack an Inhibitor?” asked Night. “Trixie can do anything, Night Light.” “Except talk properly, I presume,” said Night. Trixie glared at him, which brought a small smile to his face. “Oh, I’m only teasing, Ms. Lulamoon. I’m quite sure you have some fascinating things to say.” “Gotta say, Twilight’s Dad,” said Sunset. “You’re taking this a lot better than I thought. I kinda expected you to either be totally insane or… Well, let’s just say that I was banking on this being a capture mission rather than a rescue. I don’t get how you can be making jokes at a time like this.” “Ms. Shimmer, it has been four years since I last had a conversation with an intelligent creature,” said Night Light. “I’ve been waiting for a chance to make that ‘all right’ joke for a year and a half. I’m just happy to see a Faunus without a mask.” “Trixie’s got it!” said Trixie triumphantly. She clicked a button on her Scroll, and Night looked as if he had been shoved slightly. He rolled his neck, then returned to his table. “Thank you, Ms. Lulamoon. Now, before we go, I need to attach my arm. You wouldn’t happen to have a flathead screwdriver, would you? They confiscated mine. Of course, why would you be carrying a-” Trixie flicked her wrist and slid a screwdriver into her hand, which she handed to Night. “Well, okay then. Why exactly do you-” “My card mechanisms stick occasionally.” Twilight was in her own little world. Her dad was back, and he wasn’t a traitor, and he hadn’t changed at all. Her life was getting back to normal. She couldn’t wait to spend a day with brother and his wife, Night, her own mother. Twilight Velvet. “Dad?” said Twilight gently. “Where’s Mom?” Night froze for a second, but quietly returned to work. He grabbed his project from the table, a prosthetic arm. The limb was made of dented gunmetal grey steel, the joints of the wrist, elbow, fingers, and shoulder consisting of some sort of plastic. “Twily-bug, would you kindly hold this up to my shoulder?” requested Night. Understanding that her father had dodged the question, Twilight grabbed the prosthetic and held it to Night’s shoulder. Night Light took the screwdriver and tightened it in place. The limb fell limply against his side. “Dad, I-” “Halley, if you don’t mind,” said Night. “And a Scroll.” Twilight was now a bit more confused by her father’s intentions than anything right now, but gave him what he asked for. Surprisingly, he put Halley in his mouth, biting down onto the firm leather of the sheath. He pressed a few buttons on the Scroll, then held it up to his arm. “What is he doing?” asked Sunset. “Prosthetics of that intricacy are normally tied to nerves,” said Trixie. “So, if I were to guess, I’d say he’s-” “GRRRFFFFAAAAARGH!” “Reattaching them,” finished Trixie. Night dropped his sword and tied it to his right hip. “Stars and heaven, that hurt!” Night held a hand to his shoulder joint, then tapped on his forearm. A small display appeared, and he began punching numbers. “Come on, work, work, work…” The display flashed red, and Night snapped. “Son of a bitch!” “Dad, what happened?” asked Twilight again. “You’re not telling me anything! Where’s mom, what are you doing, how-” “She’s gone! I don’t know where, but she’s not here!” Night yelled. He brought his prosthesis down onto the table, cracking it. Twilight immediately pulled a small sack from her pocket. “And I found her, so I locked the data in my arm, and those savages ruined my sensitive instruments! Her location is gone, she could be on the moon for all I know, I-” He would’ve said more, but Twilight interrupted him by waving a sugarcube in front of his face. For a second, Night Light couldn’t believe what was happening. Seeing the small, slightly tearful smile of his daughter made all of his anger melt away. He grinned, grabbed the sugarcube, then held it between his teeth. “Everyone, take a sugarcube,” said Twilight, offering her team treats from the bag. “And hold it in your teeth like my dad.” “Why?” asked Sunset. Being a Faunus with pony characteristics, she never said no to a sugarcube, but this seemed odd. “Family tradition. Everyday, before school, dad and I would hold a sugarcube in our teeth, count to three, and crunch at the same time,” said Twilight. “You guys are family now, so I thought you’d like to participate.” The three members of her team shrugged, but put the cube between their teeth nonetheless. Twilight followed suit, then counted down. “3, 2, 1!” CRUNCH! “Ohhhh!” moaned Night Light. “Sugarcubes…. I haven’t had a sugarcube since… Well, I got here. I could do with more sweets in my life. When we get home, Donut Joe’s. My treat.” “Mr. Light, you’re making it really hard to hate you for crippling my dad,” said Sunset with a small smile. “Alright, team. We need to start thinking about an exit. We got in without being noticed, but I promise that we will not get out like that. We need to move quick. What’s the most obvious way to the bay?” “Southwest,” said Night. “Then we go northeast.” Sunset called the Bullhead and gave it approximate coordinates. “If we move quickly, we might be able to get a head start on them.” “INTRUDER! IDENTIFY YOURSELF!” “My sword, please,” said Night Light. Twilight handed him the katana, which he tied to his other side. Then, calm as can be, Night Light stepped forward and walked out of the tent. SSTT followed just behind him, drawing their weapons at the crowd that had amassed. Thirty perfect Faunus soldiers stood before them, some with guns, some with swords, and all with the white tunics and intimidating Grimm masks of the White Fang. Amongst the group of soldiers were two massive mechanical titans, colossal battle armor known as Atlesian Paladins. As Team SSTT and Night stepped forward, every enemy in the area aimed at them. “That is quite enough, prisoner.” A voice echoed through the crowd so shimmery that it must have been artificial. The army parted, letting a lone woman step into view. Instead of the normal white typical of her organization, she wore a flowing black cloak, and a massive flamberged zweihander on her back. Her mask was very different as well. Resembling the face of a mantis or spider more than a typical Grimm, it covered her entire face with a smooth white steel. Instead of stopping before the mouth like other White Fang masks, her’s had sharp pincers like an insect. “How unfortunate,” she said, her voice dripping with venom. “Two more sisters corrupted by human scum.” She shook her head as if disappointed. “Surely you must understand that they’re beasts?” “Coming from the chick with a bug mask,” shot Sunset. “Who the hell are you, anyway?” “Names are irrelevant, considering the fact that our meeting will be very short,” said the woman. “But, if you truly must call me something, I am known as Lady.” “Lady as in ‘listen here, lady’?” inquired Night. “Or Lady as in the feminine of Lord? It doesn’t matter, neither applies to you. I can tell just by looking that you are exceptional.” Night Light snickered. “Exceptionally stupid.” “Lay down your weapons,” said Lady. “I would truly hate to have to hurt you. You’re quite the asset to the White Fang.” Her tone brightened, as if smiling behind her mask. “Do you know how many filthy humans have been eradicated because of your contributions? Would you like to?” “Do not try to anger me, Lady. It won’t work.” “These girls here, what are they? First year Huntresses? And this is what the humans send to rescue you? Clearly they don’t care much about you.” “We may be young, but we’re some of the best Huntresses you’re likely to see,” said Starlight. “I’m not the bragging type, but you will not ignore us. We are not beneath you just because of our age!” Lady chuckled slightly, reaching around her back. She grabbed her massive sword and held it on her shoulder menacingly. “Arrogant, arrogant humans! Answer me this, human, because I would like to understand,” said Lady. “What do you know about being beneath? What do you know about being looked down upon?! Age? That’s your concern? You’re seventeen now, but soon you will not be. As for us?” She raised her fist to the sky. “Faunus in Cradle! Faunus in Grave!” “We don’t grow out of this! This is who we are, and you humans…” Lady silenced herself. If she didn’t stop now, who knew when she would. “This is not about politics. Leave the island now while I am feeling that charitable.” “We’re not leaving without my dad,” said Twilight. Lady looked from Twilight to Night, studying their faces carefully. “I see the resemblance. If you’re half as smart as your father, you will be quite useful to our cause,” said Lady. “I am going to give you one last opportunity. The humans may leave, but you two stay to aid our cause. We will crush the humans beneath our boot, and ascend to a certain status of supremacy that mortal men can only dream of! Night Light, think about it. That massive intellect of yours is wasted in a human world! You’ll never be as respected as your human peers, even those less extraordinary than yourself. I’m giving you the opportunity to be what you are deep inside: great.” Night Light slowly took a step forward, and then another. He slowly started making his way towards Lady, shaking his head as he did. “I understand your pain. I understand your hatred for humanity. More so, I even sympathized. How could I not? I used to be just like you. Hated the world and everyone on it. I wanted others to hurt as I did. To be frank, I was seconds away from joining your ranks, when something miraculous happened,” said Night Light. “I grew the hell up. I stopped blaming others for my problems, and I’ve learned to accept the fact that this world we live in is far from perfect. Idiots like you are doing nothing to improve its condition! You violent brutes, who kill and destroy to prove a point, you are the reason humanity looks at our kind in that way. You are a disgrace to Faunus, so much so that you don’t deserve the name. You deserve to be called that which you are acting like: filthy, rabid, stupid animals!” Twilight had never seen her father so angry before. It was equally terrifying as it was awe-inspiring. Night stood between them and a small army, and he still had the courage and mental fortitude to chew them out. The man was many things, but a teacher above all. “Capture Night Light,” ordered Lady, a tinge of disappointment in her voice. “Break the daughter’s legs. Kill the others.” Team SSTT readied their weapons, as did Night. “You will not harm any of them,” said Night. “Least of all my daughter.” “I’m not going to kill her. Just beat her and torture her and break her,” said Lady, a small laugh in her voice. “She will forget about pleasure. Her reality will become pain. I will ruin her until her mind falls apart in my hands. And if I am feeling charitable, when your daughter is thoroughly broken, having long since forgone screams of pain for incoherent muttering and begging for death, I will allow you to end her misery. You will watch and you will suffer with her. This is what happens when you defy me.” Night Light laughed, so loudly that Twilight was genuinely concerned for his mental state. “I was wrong, Lady,” said Night Light, grinning slightly. “It worked a lot.” With speed the human eye could barely process, he ripped Halley from her sheath and swiped her through the air. A comet of his Aura launched forward, bowling through a group of White Fang and exploding. Twelve bodies flew in multiple directions, and most of them didn’t get back up. “Attack!” Lady pointed her sword forward and her army charged. Team SSTT froze in shock, and it took their leader to get them going. Sunset herself was frozen, but snapped out of it when a shot whizzed by her head. “Starlight, Trixie, start on one of those Paladins!” ordered Sunset. “Sparks, we need to get the other. Mr. Light-” “I can handle the rest. Just be sure to buckle up, kids,” said Night. He grabbed the hilt of his longer sword. “We’re in for one hell of a ride!” The team split, Trixie and Starlight heading for the left Paladin. As they ran, Trixie threw cards at White Fang who attempted to get too close. Starlight supplied support, sending shots at those that her partner failed to notice, and she occasionally rewinded an enemy out of striking them. Trixie drew a card, which was laced with ice Dust, and threw it into the air. Not missing a beat, Starlight shot her Aura at it with Sameness, activating it. Then, with a flick of a wand, Trixie sent the card directly at the Atlesian Paladin. A loud blare erupted from Sunset’s guitar, knocking many of her enemies to the ground. Twilight flipped her dagger into wand form and waved it through the air. A plane of thin purple light surged forward, pushing through the crowd. Their path now clear, Twilight manufactured purple light platforms in a staircase. She followed Sunset up the footholds, jumping and leaping onto the Paladin. “These girls are stronger than you give them credit for,” said Night, pulling Velvet from her sheath. The resulting implosion eliminated a quarter of the remaining forces, but hardly made Lady flinch. “As am I,” said Lady. She swung her sword down, just barely missing Night. Her opponent twirled around and stabbed his sword backwards. Lady leaned to the side and swung her free arm into Night’s face. “Alright, that was a good hit,” said Night. “I’ll grant you that. But I wager that you won’t get another one.” “You underestimate me,” said Lady. “You’re not giving me a lot to work with.” Night slashed diagonally with his longer sword, just barely missing her chest. “Tell me about yourself. Leader of the White Fang, so you must have a colorful life.” “Not the whole Fang. Just this cell.” Lady hefted her sword up and stabbed forward, skimming Night’s Aura. “And I’m just a Lady with a plan.” “Man makes plans, and God just laughs,” remarked Night. He realized that he wouldn’t beat her this way. He would need to learn first. “You never struck me as the religious type,” said Lady. She avoided Night’s next stab and countered it with an overhead swing. Her target managed to block it with his shorter sword just in time. “How can you stand for this?” asked Night, ignoring the statement. “You’re attacking children right now! Is this what you think Faunus stand for?” “Faunus do not stand, they lay down and crawl. That’s the problem. These drastic measures, this violence, I don’t think it’s right!” Lady swiped twice with her massive sword, missing both times. “It’s fair! Necessary! I stand for this because no one else will! And the girls know what they signed up for. We all do.” Night paused for just a second, which was all Lady needed. She brought her knee up to his gut, slashed across his chest, and kicked him to the ground. “Humans, arrogant humans, make assumptions. They assume that the White Fang see themselves as heroes. We don’t.” She stomped firmly on Night’s leg. “We are far from heroes. We are evil. But we are necessary. You see, the world as we know it is going to end soon, whether it be by me or humanity. Fire or ice. I prefer fire.” Lady felt something freezing strike her legs. She looked down just in time to see the bright blue light surrounding her legs burst into large, freezing crystals of ice. Night spared a glance at his daughter, who had already returned her attention to destroying the Paladin. “But, for destruction of the world? Ice is perfectly fine,” said Night with a small smirk. He slipped his swords back into their sheaths. “Now, give me one good reason not to kill you right here. Something other than the whole ‘good guys don’t kill’ thing.” “I interest you. If you kill me now, you’ll never know all there is about me,” said Lady. “You’ll never know all that I’m capable of.” “Surprisingly, I don’t actually care all that much about you.” “How about your wife?” Night grabbed Lady by the throat, digging his fingers into her neck. “Where is she?” he said. “Somewhere safe. But, if I die here, her execution will be broadcast all over Remnant,” threatened Lady. “The White Fang will be calling for human blood after a Faunus murder.” “It’s not murder if it’s on the battlefield,” said Night, drawing his shorter sword. “It is if you’re me. I’m special.” “Clearly. But why?” asked Night. He grabbed his sword threateningly. “Out with it.” “Telling you now would be the easy way. Your daughter, however… She’ll figure it out soon enough,” said Lady. “In about three months.” “Three months? What’s in three months?” demanded Night Light. Lady just cackled, swiping her sword futilely at her opponent. “What happens in three months?! What is…” The pieces soon fell into place. Night swore quietly under his breath when he realized it. Then, incredibly, a small smile spread on his face. “Sunset! What’s the ETA on that Bullhead?” demanded Night Light. Sunset smashed her guitar into the Paladin’s cockpit, ensuring its destruction, then pulled out her Scroll. “Ninety seconds, and it’ll be right over us!” she called. “Excellent. Lady, you will be coming with us,” said Night. Lady laughed, shaking her head. “My mask is special, as you have no doubt have noticed. Explosives are fitted on the inside,” giggled Lady. “If I leave this island, they will detonate. Same goes if anyone tries to remove it without my permission. I’m sure I don’t have to remind you, but Twilight Velvet and I are linked in that way.” “What are the rules on knocking you out?” asked Night. Lady turned her face slightly and tapped her cheek tauntingly. Night concentrated his Aura around her fist and launched it into Lady’s face. She slumped under her own weight. “Bullhead inbound!” shouted Sunset. The ship could be heard approaching. “We need to go.” “Twily!” called Night. He pulled his daitō from his hip and tossed it to her. “Clear the area!” Twilight caught the sword, then focused her Aura. She ripped the sword from the sheath, then slammed it back into place. The air around her exploded outward, sending enemies flying back. The Bullhead zoomed into view, lowering down and opening its cockpit. “Kick gravel, guys!” said Sunset. Team SSTT ran for the Bullhead, their first mission behind them. “I heard you two talking about fire and ice,” said Twilight. The sun had set and her team were laying in the Bullhead in preparation for sleep, leaving her to silently admire her father’s presence. “What was that all about?” Night Light sighed tiredly, then wrapped his arm around his daughter. “Some say the world will end in fire,” said Night Light. “Some say in ice. From what I’ve tasted of desire, I hold with those who favor fire. But if it had to perish twice, I think that, for destruction, ice is also great and would suffice.” “Oh. What does that mean?” asked Twilight. “It means that, one way or another, our world is coming to end. Whether it be by us or them, it matters not. It is ending. Our White Fang friends would prefer it be in the fire of revolution. Or some radical nonsense like that.” “Do you think we’ll run into her again?” “You will. In three months,” said Night tiredly. “Lady is a student, probably at Haven Academy.” He chuckled slightly. “You’re probably going to fight her in the Vytal Tournament.” “That’s not good,” said Sunset. “She seemed really strong.” “Sure was. But you can handle her,” said Night Light with a small smile. “If you’re anything like your parents, you’ll do just fine.” The buzzing of the Bullhead was the only sound to heard as the team whisked themselves back to Beacon Academy, slowly closing in on the Vytal Festival.