35 -- Second Wave
“He may have been a soft old fool but he kept the natives from rioting. As much as I hated him, I had to give him that much at least.”
--Commander Hurricane, on his predecessor.
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07:50, 12/17/2015, OFFICE OF CAPTAIN MATTHEW HARRIS, CANTERLOT
The sharp knock on the door caused Matt to jerk out of his sleep, and he immediately followed that with a groan as his body protested against the sudden movement. Where am I? Did I fall asleep in my office? Those questions gave way to a more pressing concern as he rubbed his eyes and saw the empty table in front of him. Twilight was here, wasn’t she? Then where--
“Captain Harris,” Zhang’s voice called from the opposite side of the door, every bit as sharp as usual. “Commander Bradford’s reinforcements will be arriving in approximately ten minutes, and I believe you wanted to meet them at their arrival point.”
That was enough motivation for Matt to nearly jump up from the couch... and promptly bang his shin into the coffee table. He bit back a slew of profanity before hobbling over to the door. Matt’s subordinate was waiting just on the other side, and he didn’t do more than raise an eyebrow in response when the door flew open. Oh, that isn’t even fair, Matt thought with annoyance as he surveyed Zhang’s immaculate appearance. Fresh uniform, and he’s even had time to trim that silly chin hair of his. “Please tell me you are joking about the time.”
Zhang’s only response was to maintain his stoic look, save for the arched eyebrow.
A sigh escaped Matt as he ran a hand down his face. “All right, give me two minutes,” he said as he turned from the door. The far wall to his office featured a pitcher of water and cups, ostensibly for refreshment, but not in the manner that Matt needed at the moment. The shock of a modest handful of the ice cold water hitting his face was enough to wake him fully, and he gave his face a quick scrub with the provided towel to wipe away the accumulated sweat and grime from the last day. Once he was reasonably satisfied with his appearance, he turned to join Zhang in the corridor. “How do I look?” Matt asked as the other man fell into step behind him.
“Like you were in the field less than eight hours ago,” Zhang replied diplomatically, and Matt had to suppress a wince.
“Well, we’ll just have to hope that whoever is being sent to assume command isn’t hoping for a ceremonial welcome,” Matt replied as the two rounded a corner while weaving between the usual castle traffic. I wonder why Commander Bradford was as evasive on the subject as he was during our conversation back on Earth…
Something in Matt’s tone must have alerted Zhang to his ponderings. “Do we not know who is assuming command? I had assumed that you were informed of who would be taking over during your stay on Earth.”
The conversation paused briefly as the pair cleared the security checkpoint before moving into the tunnels leading to the Kaleidoscope pads. “I wasn’t given any concrete names,” Matt said. “From what I understand, they were evaluating candidates that the new administration would approve of, given that we’re ‘official’ now.”
Zhang’s expression remained doubtful but he fell silent as the pair entered the chamber where the reinforcements would be appearing. Several Equestrians were also present, including Shining Armor. “There’s less than a minute left before the arrival, I was worried you wouldn’t arrive in time…” The unicorn captain trailed off as his eyes narrowed suspiciously while he gave Matt a critical eye. “Long night, captain?”
“You could say that. Twilight--” Matt started to respond, but his self-preservation instinct reminded him of who he was talking to. Oh God. I know that look. “Twilight left a lot of paperwork for me by the time I got back to my office. It was a bit late for her, since I think she went to bed before then.” It’s the truth… technically! Matt told himself furiously as he tried not to wilt under Shining’s increasingly pointed glare. I’m nearly late for the morning duties, I show up in yesterday’s clothes, and I was supposed to meet his sister last night. He’s probably thinking I did something to her--
Like molest her in her sleep?
The memory of scratching Twilight’s ears and the mental debate that followed immediately afterward was enough to force a guilty flinch from Matt, but any further discomfort was pushed aside as the ten second warning was announced. The lights in the chamber flickered, and he could feel the slightest vibrations running through the floor. Matt closed his eyes to block the brunt of the light from the teleport, and when he opened them the teleport pad was filled from end to end with men and women in casual uniform and kit bags over their shoulders. All but one was struggling to maintain their balance or keep their breakfasts down after the jarring teleport, and when Matt spotted the one exception, he nearly laughed.
One of the missions that XCOM had run over the summer had involved an ambush on a highway overpass, where the aliens had been so daring as to launch an attack on a caravan containing United Nations upper echelons. As the Equestrians’ involvement in the war was something that warranted discretion, Shining Armor’s volunteers had been assigned to the opposite end of the highway overpass to prevent the aliens from fleeing while Strike teams pushed towards the survivors.
To say that the aliens’ assault had been almost a complete success would not have been an understatement. Only two guards had survived the initial attack, and both were wounded to the point where they could not move on their own. The only officer to survive had been a general of all things, who had taken up one of the guards’ assault rifles in an attempt to hold off the aliens. By the time the Strike teams had linked up with them, the general had been surrounded by a sea of spent shell casings and empty magazines;a half-dozen alien corpses littered the roadway leading to where he was making his final stand. Strike 2 had continued to advance down the overpass to sweep the aliens into the Equestrian perimeter while Strike 1 extracted the survivors to safety.
Due to the radio reports from Strike 1 and 2, and most soldiers’ natural inclinations to tell tall tales, the UN general’s last stand became a valiant charge with a pistol, then a knife, then his bare hands. The current iteration of that battle had the general punching the overpass to drop it onto a Sectopod that was walking beneath, apparently because bullets were taking too long to kill it.
The general did nothing to refute these claims when he was eventually informed of XCOM’s allies and they had asked him if any of it were true. He would always smile and say, “You know how these things are exaggerated,” which meant to the Equestrians that he was as humble as he was powerful.
Bradford, you magnificent bastard. You brought the one person that the world at large might trust, that XCOM likes, and that the Equestrians think is some kind of demigod, Matt thought, and while he suppressed his urge to laugh, he couldn’t help but smile as he stepped forward. “Welcome to the front, General,” he said as he offered his hand.
“It’s Colonel now, which is a heck of a lot better than retired General,” Peter Van Doorn corrected, a sincere smile easily appearing on his face. He looked almost exactly the same as when he had been released from XCOM’s custody after his condition had been checked. His bald head was hidden beneath a black and red cap, which matched the color combination of the uniform he wore. Any further inspection would have to wait as Van Doorn gave Matt’s hand a quick shake. “This is my subordinate for the duration, Major Elizabeth Renfeld,” he introduced, indicating the woman beside him.
The woman in question was nearly as tall as Matt and held herself like someone who was expecting trouble. Her feet were spaced at shoulder width apart, and her kit bag strap was over her right shoulder and held in place by her hand. Perhaps the most telling detail was that she wore the same dress uniform as Van Doorn but rested her free hand on the sidearm strapped to her left leg. She barely gave him more than a glance as her eyes swept the chamber, and she offered her left hand to shake in a token effort towards Matt.
Matt responded with his own, briefly lamenting the lack of glove for his prosthetic, before introducing himself. “I’m Captain Matthew Harris, and I’ve--” Renfeld’s hand had barely bothered closing around Matt’s to shake it, but a second later it had closed like a vice grip. Her knuckles were bone white from the force of her grip, and did not let go even after Matt tried to pull away.
“Matthew Harris?” she repeated his name slowly, and her wandering gaze was now fixed on him with laser-like focus. The moment stretched on uncomfortably, and then it passed. “I’ll see that the men get settled in, sir,” Renfeld said as she finally relaxed her grip and turned towards Van Doorn, then followed Zhang and the flow of traffic from the chamber without another word.
What was that all about? Matt wondered as he watched Renfeld go. “I’m glad you’re here, sir. I think you’re just the thing we need to boost morale for the defenders at the moment,” he said as he turned back to Van Doorn, and the good cheer on the older man’s face was replaced with a knowing look. “Things haven’t been going as well as they could be…”
“I have no doubts that you’ve done the best you could, given the circumstances,” Van Doorn replied, before clapping a hand on Matt’s shoulder. “All of that’s going to change now. We’re going to beat these aliens so badly that we can both retire afterward.”
“I have to admit I’m somewhat surprised to see you here, sir. How did you end up in command of the joint Earth forces?” Matt asked, honestly relieved at the change in subjects.
Van Doorn’s immediate response was a laugh. “After you boys rescued me and mine from that highway, I immediately started pressing for greater cooperation between the nations to resist the aliens and help XCOM. I was approached by Lord Henry Renfeld shortly after Goleman’s committee imploded on itself.”
“I still cannot fathom how Goleman was elected into office,” Shining sniped quietly as he joined the conversation. “I had been meaning to thank you for speaking on our behalf after my appearance before the committee. I must admit to feeling a bit foolish for thinking I would be able to handle that buffoon without having to actually silence him with magic.”
Van Doorn nodded towards Shining and his smile became somewhat uneasy. “The wild politician is an animal that few are truly equipped to deal with, and American politicians are some of the worst of the lot. He actually tried to levy assault charges against you for taking his voice during the committee.” Van Doorn laughed as he ran a hand over his bald head. “He didn’t get much traction considering how out of line he was at the time. If it had been me in your place I probably would have thrown a chair at him.”
Shining’s response was a nervous laugh, either from the report of Goleman’s shenanigans or imagining the senator being clobbered with flying furniture.
“You know me, I can’t stand the thought of not getting in on the action,” Van Doorn continued, again clapping Matt’s shoulder with one hand. “Besides…” he trailed off as his hand moved to pick a long lavender hair from Matt’s collar before inspecting it as though it was a priceless artifact. “It’s not fair if you have all the fun.”
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09:30, 12/17/2015, CENTRAL COMMONS, CANTERLOT
The commons area in the center of Canterlot was at the best of times a meeting place for any and all travellers that found themselves staying in the city or even just passing through. As such, it was a crowded place before the invasion had occurred and it had only become more congested in the time since. It was an easy place for anypony to simply disappear if they didn’t want to be found, which was why Twilight had headed into the area.
A half dozen makeshift kitchens and eateries had opened up on the perimeter of the commons area to service the new traffic, and Twilight chose one at random before wandering to the farthest table in the dining area. With her heavy winter cloak and hood hiding her features, she warranted barely a glance from the ponies as she slipped into the cramped booth and rested her head on the table. With the possibility of being recognized and interrupted reduced to a minimum, she finally allowed herself to dissect the events that had just occurred.
Twilight had followed Matt’s recommendation and gotten everything set up in his office the night before, including organizing the practice routines and lesson plans for the gifted humans that she was familiar with. She had even run several scenarios defending her plans and ideas in the event that there were any questions and disagreements regarding her work. A full hour had passed before she realised that Matt’s tentative return time had passed, and she was left to try and not dwell on everything that might go wrong while he was deployed.
She must have fallen asleep at some point, as the next thing she remembered was being curled up on the couch in Matt’s office as the first rays of sunlight were just beginning to trickle through the windows. It had taken more than a small amount of willpower not to just stretch out and go back to sleep, until she nearly fell off the couch when she saw Matt was sleeping beside her.
Twilight’s momentary episode had apparently done little to put a dent in Matt’s rest, his chest rising and falling slowly beneath his crossed arms. His legs were crossed and up on the coffee table to complete the somewhat uncomfortable reclining position, and a spike of annoyance struck at the thought of feet resting on her hard work…
...until her eyes naturally drifted to the contents of the table. Most of her plans had remained in the same approximate locations as they had been before she had fallen asleep, but every single page had annotations, suggestions and additions to her plans. The only page that had less than three comments from Matt had just a single line: “Forgot to translate? I’ll help anyway I can, just ask!”
That last page hadn’t been written in English for a specific reason. It had been a list of everything she needed to talk about with Matt, but all of it was merely window dressing for what she really wanted to talk about. About her and Matt. About them. About them together.
Her rational mind knew that there was no way that Matt could understand (and by extension, agree to) what she had intended, but that line of thought was overridden by the giddy happiness of having all of her ideas approved or even improved with Matt’s feedback and unknowning approval. He wasn’t telling her it was wrong and to stop. He wasn’t telling her to fix it and get back to him. He wanted to improve it with her.
She had intended to simply give him a hug while he had slept, but she had… She had…
One lavender hoof rose up to her lips as she blushed furiously beneath her cloak at the memory.
I know Rarity said that I shouldn’t count on being swept up in the moment, but it just seemed like the right thing to do! Twilight thought, and as much as she tried to apply her intellect to figure out what to do next, it always wrapped around to that moment when she had given Matt a kiss on the cheek. What happens now? Isn’t the stallion supposed to lead after something like this? That question was immediately followed by a groan from Twilight. It’s rather unrealistic to expect him to lead if he doesn’t even know what’s happened!
The bustle of the dining area had long been tuned out as Twilight shifted in her seat. I have to tell him, and we HAVE to talk still. One half of a couple getting swept up in the moment does not a relationship make. A sigh escaped her as she slowly lifted her head from the table. I’ve been gone from the castle for an hour… I should probably head back or Shiny will start sending out search parties as though I’m a wanted criminal. That last thought was the final piece of the puzzle that had been building in the back of Twilight’s mind.
When the humans had been preparing for their… judgement of the assassin that they had captured, Twilight had reviewed just about every scrap of information she could get on human law to try and justify or excuse what she had hesitated in doing. The majority of the laws had little to do with her situation, and Twilight had simply filed them away with the rest of the trivia she had acquired over the years. Matt asleep beside her, what she had done after discovering his work, and the mental thought of ‘wanted criminal’ brought up a legal concept that the humans called ‘Informed Consent.’
It was just a kiss on the cheek! Lots of ponies do that all the time when their partners are asleep! Twilight protested as she brought her hooves up to her temples and squeezed her eyes shut. In those cases consent is implied for that act of affection, since they are partners. You aren’t that with him yet... the rebuttal was fast in coming, as was her rising panic. I did something bad… really really bad! I have to apologize and explain things before they get out of hoof! But the crime’s already been committed! That means…
“Is something wrong, dear?”
“I THINK I’M A SEX OFFENDER!” Twilight yelled, only to realise that she had actually vocalized her last thought. Dead silence filled the dining area as everyone turned to stare, and the serving mare who had spoken to Twilight was slowly backing away. The last thing the alicorn in disguise could articulate was an embarrassed scream as she teleported away.
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15:50, 12/17/2015, RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT, CANTERLOT
It had taken less than an hour of playing with Firefly for Sweetie to realise that she was a bit… different from other foals her age. She was amazingly smart in most cases, but other situations made Sweetie think that something might be wrong with her. Despite her sometimes perplexing difficulty in understanding what was common sense to the other Crusaders, Firefly was becoming fast on her way to earning her ‘honorary Crusader’ title (seeing as how she already had her mark). She might have already had it, if her ‘family responsibilities’ hadn’t required that she spend so much time with her older sister Firecracker.
“So, why are we waiting here again?” Firefly asked as her head pivoted in every direction to try and take in the lobby that the four fillies now waited in. There was a healthy mix of both griffons and Equestrians in the lobby, and the newest addition to the Cutie Mark Crusaders stared at every single one that walked by as though it was the most interesting thing in the room before moving on to the next.
“Alvar had a meeting with someone named ‘Zhang’, but he promised to meet us here just as soon as he was done,” Sweetie answered immediately, her eyes going to each of the entrances to the lobby. She did take a second to spare a look towards Firefly, whose wide-eyed wonder at every little thing in the room made her oblivious to the Sweetie’s scrutiny. I wonder what her family’s like for her to act like this? Firecracker’s relatively normal as far as mares go, and the few times they’ve talked about family around us, it sounded like Firecracker left the family entirely. The questions lingered as Sweetie resumed her scan, and her anticipation for Alvar’s arrival was immediately replaced with suspicion when she caught sight of two ponies that the Crusaders hadn’t encountered since before the Nightmare Night party.
“Found a new blank-flank to join your little herd? I suppose that’s good for you; second rate ponies should stick together,” Diamond Tiara sneered as she spotted the Crusaders and their new member waiting on the street.
Silver Spoon gave an exaggerated gasp as she eyed Firefly. “You already have your cutie mark! You shouldn’t hang around with these common riff-raff or their mediocre nature will rub off on you, dear!”
Applebloom was the first to react, sucking in a deep breath to share her thoughts on the Crusader’s eternal nemeses (at what would no doubt be an impressive volume). Scootaloo was just a second faster, wrapping one leg around Applebloom and covering her mouth to stifle the shouting. Both the pegasus and earth pony glared at the two interlopers, while Sweetie glanced towards their newest member as to how she reacted to Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara.
Firefly’s eyes were open and directed towards the two new fillies, but were unfocused. The moment passed as she blinked her eyes and said, “No, thank you!” as though she was declining something as simple as a glass of water with her lunch.
“But why?” both of the stuck-up fillies protested in shock, and Diamond Tiara sputtered, “Don’t you know that you’ll go nowhere with these foals? If you want to be successful in life then you have to go with the winners!”
“I won’t go with you because you both are cruel and hurtful bullies. You two derive pleasure and your sense of self-worth from how much you can demean and belittle others, because you know that deep down there’s nothing in you that makes you more special than anypony else. I know it isn’t entirely your fault, your parents were the ones responsible for turning you into spoiled little monsters. Mom doesn’t want me to grow up to be like my sisters or you two, so that’s why I won’t go with you.”
The delivery of Firefly’s monologue had been so chipper and upbeat, like a schoolfilly sharing a story about what they had done the night before with a friend. There wasn’t an ounce of the sarcastic and biting tones that Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara used when they spoke. Sweetie cast a wide-eyed glance towards an equally stunned Applebloom and Scootaloo. I hadn’t ever really thought about why the two snobs acted the way they do, I thought that was just who they were. Even if it’s true, the way Firefly laid it all out hurt to listen to, Sweetie thought, and she felt an unexpected pang of sympathy towards the two fillies that had been the bane of her existence up until then.
“W-well, fine! Hang out with these losers and see if we care!” Diamond Tiara shouted before turning and galloping away, Silver Spoon close behind.
“Goodbye!” Firefly said, and she even waved a hoof at the fleeing foals. A moment passed and the newest Crusader turned back towards the others. The moment she saw the expressions on Sweetie, Applebloom and Scootaloo’s faces, Firefly seemed to wither on the spot. “Did I do something wrong?” she asked in an apprehensive tone. Her ears fell back and she shrank even further. “I did, didn’t I? I did the thing where I repeated what Mom said, not what she told me to say.”
“I won’t argue that those two have earned a talking-to by somepony, but what you said to them was a bit…” Applebloom started, and her observation trailed off.
“Brutal,” Scootaloo contributed, and she wasn’t the only one giving Firefly a wary look.
I can’t argue with what they’re saying… but something that Firefly’s said is bugging me, and I can’t put my hoof on it. It took just a moment for Sweetie to replay the conversation in her head, and comprehension dawned on her. Firefly never lived in Ponyville, so how would her mom know about Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara? If this was her first time meeting those two, then how did her mom tell her to avoid them? “Firefly, when did your mom tell you about Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon?” she finally asked, giving voice to her questions.
“When those two walked in,” came the immediate answer, with apparently no regard towards the impossibility of it.
“Is… is your mom with us right now?” Sweetie asked, nearly fumbling over the question as she tried to phrase it as tactfully as possible. She only broke eye contact to shoot Scootaloo a warning glare when she whirled her hoof by her head and crossed her eyes while pointing to Firefly’s back. Firefly’s acting wierd but I don’t think she’s crazy. Something else is going on here. Sweetie tried to convey her thoughts through the glare, but the only thing that stopped Scootaloo was a kick from Applebloom.
Firecracker seemed oblivious to the unspoken communication going on between the Crusaders as she perked up, apparently happy for the subject change. “Mom got hurt by the bad guys really bad, so she had to go away for a while. She still talks to me so that I don’t mess things up too much!”
When Sweetie met the eyes of the other Crusaders this time, there was no doubt that they all had come to the same conclusion. The ‘mom’ she hears… she isn’t really there. She’s probably… dead… and Firefly just can’t accept it. Are we any different? Sweetie thought, and she recalled the scare she and the girls had when they had snuck into the humans’ area in the castle, then to the guard that they had seen killed in Ponyville. Are we really any different, pretending to be great heroes fighting evil given what we’ve seen?
“Is everything alright?” The question came from Alvar as he broke away from the flow of traffic entering the building. He took his usual seat beside Sweetie and looked to each of the group in turn. “You are all rather quiet, and I passed two fillies outside who were crying. I do hope there isn’t any bad news.”
“Wait… two fillies outside were crying?” Scootaloo blurted out. “Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara?”
Alvar gave a brief description of both fillies, and a Sweetie felt an unexpected spike of guilt after what had happened. Those two have always gone out of their way to make us feel bad, so why would it bother me at all for them to have their feelings hurt? “Those two are bullies, but now I feel a little bad. Maybe we should go and make sure they’re alright.”
Surprisingly, Alvar was the first to respond. “That might be for the best. I was actually stopping by to let you know that something has come up. One of the new humans that arrived today requested the use of a sparring ring and it would be impolite if I didn’t attend whatever display she intends.”
“Oh, that sounds fun! Can I come with?” Firefly asked quickly, the heavy mood from the previous conversation sliding off of her like water on a duck’s back.
Alvar’s response was a nod and a smile. “I don’t see why not.”
Just like that, the feelings of sympathy towards Firefly and (surprisingly) the two spoiled fillies was pushed aside by a sudden burst of anxiety of leaving Alvar alone with the Crusader’s newest member. Sweetie struggled as long as she could to try and find an excuse to go with Alvar instead, but came up wanting.
“Sweetie?” Alvar asked, freezing the filly in place before she could join up with Applebloom and Scootaloo. “Would you mind coming with me as well? I have some questions that I hope you can answer for me.”
It took less than a second for Sweetie to respond. “Okay! Scoots, Bloom, I’ll see you two tonight!” she said as she galloped over to Alvar quickly enough to miss the look that the other two Crusaders shot each other. “Let's go!”
The intimidating shadow of the Myrmidon fell over the trio as they headed out of the lobby. A moment of silence passed before Alvar finally spoke. “I must confess a small amount of ignorance, and I didn’t want to let the others know of that shortcoming, given how you three reacted to the subject…” his tone was reluctant, and he didn’t make eye contact as he cleared his throat. “The Crusaders have never hesitated to act in my time with you, but you did when I mentioned the fillies outside. You also called them ‘bullies.’” His face scrunched up as though the thought of not knowing something was leaving a sour taste in his mouth. “What’s a ‘bully’?”
How does he not know what a bully is? Sweetie thought, and she nearly blurted the thought out before catching herself. Several false starts were attempted before she settled on an answer. “A bully is… a bully is somepony who’s mean to somepony else just to hurt them, I guess.”
Alvar’s expression didn’t change as he mulled over Sweetie’s words. “Pain is their goal? But… why? Hatchlings acting that way would weaken their wingmates and their entire flight if allowed to continue. What reason could they possibly have?” The questions were laced with honest confusion at the concept, and Alvar’s gaze turned to Sweetie for an answer.
“Sometimes they don’t need a reason,” Sweetie muttered, and she tried not to dwell on everything that Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara had put the Crusaders through.
Alvar had no immediate response to that explanation as he turned back to the path, though Sweetie could see that her response had proven less than satisfactory for him. They had walked a half-dozen steps before the young griffon froze and pivoted on the spot. “Where did Firefly go?”
That filly has a real talent for just vanishing when nopony’s looking… Sweetie had to admit as she glanced around, but the search didn’t take nearly as long as expected.
Firefly was on the opposite side of the street and nearly a block ahead with a beaming smile on her face as she followed behind somepony in a heavy cloak, looking as though she was having the time of her life. She didn’t respond when Sweetie and Alvar galloped to catch up, though the cloaked pony did stop to address her followers.
“Oh, uh… good afternoon, Alvar, Sweetie. Going off to play in the griffon compound?” Twilight Sparkle asked as she bowed her head to both of them. She caught sight of Firefly and favored the filly with a smile. “I haven’t seen you around before, have I? What’s your name?”
“My name’s Firefly! Mom says if you like him then you should just bang him already,” she replied without an ounce of hesitation, though confusion colored her features the moment she finished. “But that doesn’t sound very nice. Why would you ‘bang’ someone you like? It sounds mean. Maybe I should ask Firecracker what that means…”
Twilight’s expression had gone from what Sweetie recognized as ‘patient adult’ to the look that Rarity had when she realised that Sweetie had discovered some books that she had stashed the closet. The princess’s expression finally settled on something close to anger or embarrassment, though Sweetie couldn’t tell exactly which. “I think you should tell your mom to mind her own business,” she finally managed to say through gritted teeth.
“Apologies, princess,” Alvar said as he cleared his throat. “Firefly is… well, she’s very young, and hasn’t learned to control the impulse to say every thought that’s put into her head.”
“I’m sure she didn’t mean anything by it!” Sweetie agreed after a moment, and she smiled to hide her growing confusion. What does she mean by ‘bang him?’ Maybe I should ask Rarity… and come to think of it, who does she mean by ‘him’? And why did Alvar say it like somepony else was sticking all of these random things in her head for her to say?
“It’s fine…” Twilight replied, her earlier exasperation giving way to distraction as she cast a glance towards the griffon checkpoint and the two humans that were passing through.
Alvar followed Twilight’s look before he said, “One of the newly arrived humans had requested a training area for some sort of demonstration, and we were just heading there to observe. It seems that Captain Harris will be attending as well. Would you like to come with us, Princess? ”
“Yes, I would. Thank you,” Twilight replied, and she fell into step with the rest of the small group heading towards the checkpoint. Her expression had softened somewhat, and Sweetie did not make a point of asking why her face was still so red.
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15:50, 12/17/2015, OFFICE OF CAPTAIN MATTHEW HARRIS, CANTERLOT
It had been a very long day getting everyone and everything moved from the Kaleidoscope to their respective areas within the city. The first group to arrive that morning had included a large number of the XCOM veterans who had been forced to stay behind, and they had no problems with following Matt to the increasingly cramped barracks area that the humans had been using since their arrival over a month ago.
Commander Bradford’s anticipated additions to the Kaleidoscope network must have been completed successfully, as a next wave of reinforcements had arrived a couple of hours later, and the third had arrived just after noon. Unlike the first wave, the majority of the soldiers that arrived wore the uniforms of their nations of origin, while the officers had been sporting the same black-and-red uniforms that Van Doorn and Renfeld had been wearing.
These reinforcements had been provided directly to the war effort by the nations that now composed the ‘ADVENT’ administration, as it was being referred to back home. The black and red dress uniforms were apparently provided by the new organization to the soldiers that had been hand picked specifically to lead the troops that had been provided by the various member nations.
In Matt’s mind, it seemed like a recipe for disaster. His fears proved unfounded, though, as Col. Van Doorn and Maj. Renfeld were practically omnipresent whenever Matt had looked in on the new troops. Nearly a thousand total soldiers had been sent through the portals, which by necessity meant that temporary housing within the city had to be acquired. Keeping the new arrivals confined to a single location was not a task that Matt envied, but everything at least appeared to be in order when he had escorted the last wave of reinforcements to the housing blocks just after noon.
Matt might have spent some more time worrying about the new arrivals, but they weren’t the only things on his mind. Reports also indicated that the next wave would include engineers, technicians and parts to begin constructing a landing pad and facilities for Skyrangers at the base of the mountain. The addition of human aircraft to the mix would certainly be a boon to the overworked pegasus chariot drivers… but that concern wasn’t the first thing on his mind.
What dominated Matt’s attention, now that the lion’s share of the work was done and the troopers were finally settling in, was how Twilight’s hair had ended up on his collar.
It’s possible that the hairs might have been on my hand after I had sat down, and they made it up to my neck any time I had raised my hand to my face. That’s what happened, I bet, Matt told himself as he stared into the mirror in his office. The uniform he had been wearing during his meeting with Van Doorn had long been sent to the laundry, and he had found a few minutes in the midst of the day’s hectic schedule to shower and wipe off what felt like an inch of grime and sweat off of his face… but he still couldn’t shake the feeling that the moment he stepped outside of the office, another lavender hair or ten would appear on his uniform spontaneously. Only after another minute’s inspection was Matt finally confident enough to leave his office without embarrassing himself, when a knock at the door pre-empted his efforts.
“Captain Harris? It’s Sergeant Finch,” the British accent came from the other side, and opening the door revealed the man in question but with a… peculiar expression on his face. Finch lifted a folder and thrust it into Matt’s chest before the other man could say a word. “AARs for last night’s adventure. You should probably read it sooner than later.”
After action reports? It should be Zhang who collects those, and he usually delivers them at the end of the day, Matt recalled as he eyed the relatively light folder. “Thanks, but isn’t--”
“Excellent, if you need anything else, just ask. Good evening, Captain,” Finch interrupted before offering a quick salute and retreating into the flow of traffic in the corridor.
Matt slowly pushed the door closed as he looked down at the folder. Finch is aware of the standard operating procedure for the reports. Why would he go out of his way to deviate from that? There can’t be more than a single sheet of paper in here. A small degree of curiosity took root in the back of Matt’s mind as he sat and opened the folder. The only contents within was a simple hand-written note on a blank sheet of paper.
Just had a lovely chat with Maj. Renfeld. She was very determined to know everything about you and your time here. Didn’t ask for personal details, mainly about your habits and schedule. She even invoked ‘for Queen and Country’ to get as much info as she could. I never worked with her while a part of SAS, but she had a well-earned reputation for results and body counts in Iraq after the war broke out again.
I don’t know what she wants with you now, and I wanted to give you a heads-up without making her suspicious. Watch your back.
The note brought back the moment Matt had introduced herself, and the woman’s reaction to his name had been severe. The creeping sense of paranoia that had occasionally haunted Matt since EXALT’s first appearance resurfaced as one thought led to another. Could we be dealing with another Vide? Finch apparently knew of her prior to today, which doesn’t really coincide with the nameless phantoms that EXALT has used against us...
A knock from the door made Matt jump, and this time he made a point of grabbing his sword before heading towards the door. In all likelihood it isn’t any kind of threat. Even if it was, then they could just shoot me through the door… but I suppose it’s better than opening the door with nothing at all, Matt concluded, and he let out a small chuckle at his skittish behavior. That chuckle died when he opened the door and saw that it was Major Renfeld waiting for him.
The mild look of disapproval didn’t change on the woman’s face as her eyes locked onto the sheathed sword in his left hand. “I had heard that you had taken to carrying a sword in the field, and I’m glad that the report wasn’t bluster and exaggeration. Come, follow me.” Without any further explanation, she turned on her heel and headed down the corridor.
Matt fell into step behind Renfeld after taking a moment to lock the office behind him. “May I ask where we are going, and why?” he asked, taking advantage of his following position to give the woman a cursory inspection. No weapons besides her sidearm that are visible… and she doesn’t have any of the visible augments that EXALT sports in the field, either, he concluded as he wove between the traffic in the hallway.
“I’m aware of the capabilities of the weapon you wield, and I also am aware that you are lacking in any training for how to properly wield it,” Renfeld explained quickly, not bothering to look back to address Matt. “When I was young, my father insisted that I choose a martial discipline to learn. To spite him, I chose kenjutsu. That sword you were given isn’t a proper katana, but just by looking at it I can tell you can… benefit from my knowledge of Ittō-ryū.”
Itto...what? Matt’s attempts to make sense of the foreign words nearly eclipsed his understanding of the ones he did recognize. Is she offering sword training? “I certainly appreciate your willingness to help, but I’m not sure now is the best time for that. Perhaps it would be best to make an appointment after everyone’s settled in?”
Renfeld waved a dismissive hand at the suggestion. “You know that the enemy respects no schedule but their own. We’ve got some time now, and I had a chance to speak with your Lieutenant Zhang while I was securing a practice area with the griffons. I have to say that I’m impressed in your choice of subordinates. I have no doubts he can handle things while you’re indisposed.”
“Ah, I understand,” Matt replied, though his gut had begun to nag at him to find some sort of excuse to be somewhere else. No convenient excuses made themselves apparent as they approached the checkpoint to the griffon compound, though he was momentarily distracted by the fact that the guards manning the checkpoint all offered the slightest of bows in his direction as he passed.
Renfeld led the way into a nearby building, and after a few more corridors they reached their destination. It was a large room, possibly some kind of meeting hall prior to the invasion, with racks of various wooden practice weapons alongside their lethal counterparts. A small handful of griffons were present and in the process of maintaining the equipment, and the largest of the flock hobbled over to the two humans.
“The High Talon has informed me of your intent here,” the griffon stated, and Matt had a hard time trying to find some place on his body that wasn’t scarred in some way. He turned towards Matt and produced a wooden sword from the crook of one wing. “A training saber made of hardwood from the forests surrounding Low Peak. It should match the weight and length of your sword perfectly.”
Matt took the weapon in his free hand and mirrored the small bow that the guards had offered at the checkpoint. “Thank you,” he offered in response, and he breathed a sigh of relief when the scarred training master mirrored the gesture.
“As for you, Major Renfeld, I am afraid I do not have any weapons that match the description that you provided,” the griffon reported, but he waved one gnarled talon towards the racks along the walls. “I invite you to choose the weapon that bests suits you, and I am confident I can craft a weapon closer to your needs before your next visit.”
Renfeld did not speak immediately as she walked towards the rack that carried several wooden swords of a longer variety. She lifted one with practiced hands before turning towards the griffon and nodding. “This will suffice, thank you,” she said as she turned towards Matt, but her expression soured as the door to the training hall opened to admit several others.
The first was the familiar bulk of the Myrmidon, and immediately behind followed High Talon Alvar. Two fillies were next in line, and the last to enter was…
How do you know you aren’t molesting her in her sleep right now?
Matt couldn’t suppress a guilty flinch when he spotted Twilight, and no amount of willpower could force him to look in her direction. God, this is awkward. I think I might prefer charging into a fight over whatever this is.
Renfeld cleared her throat to draw Matt’s attention to her. She held up one hand to show the translation pendant before setting it on the edge of the arena. “You might want to remove your translator, as loose articles tend to get snagged or caught while in training.” Once Matt had followed her example, she asked, “You’ve got family, correct? A younger sister? Are you two close?”
That’s a bit of an odd thing to ask, but I’m no expert in small talk, Matt thought as he worked his right arm around its full range of motion to stretch. “I do have a sister, but we haven’t been in touch much lately. XCOM had a blackout in communication for over a year while I was there.”
The other human nodded as she worked through her own stretching routine. “I had an older brother that I lost track of for a few years. Our father wanted him to go into the family business of the army and politics, but my brother never liked it when someone told him what to do. While he was off being a reporter and saving the world, it fell to me to carry on with the family business. Despite him running from his responsibilities, he was family,” Renfeld said with a sigh as she locked eyes with Matt. The wooden sword in her hands came to rest in some form of guard position and her stance widened.
The use of the past tense when referring to her brother was not lost on Matt. “Where is he now?” he asked, though he was already certain he knew the answer.
A small smile crossed Renfeld’s face, though the emotion in her eyes was anything but sanguine. “He was interviewing humanitarian aid workers in Iraq when he died. Rioters beheaded him after some idiot American shot a kid.”
By the time that Matt realised just what she was referring to, Renfeld had already halved the distance between them with her sword held high.
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Edit:
It's done! WOO! Finally! Apologies in the delays with this, as I've had a bit of stress to deal with last month that wasn't entirely XCOM related. However, I hope folks enjoy this!
ALSO! Everyone welcome the new pre-readers that have joined the team: Noble Cause and metalusionsismagic! They've done a great job with this chapter, and any formatting/other issues are entirely on me when I transferred the chapter from google docs. (I'll update the story's description to reflect the updated roster for prereaders at a later point when I'm not at work)
PETER VAN DOORN IS HERE
AYYLIUMS BEWAREE
Unless these Advent troops work for the aliens you should have picked a different name for them.
Peter Motherfucking Van Dorn is here!
Also, does this ADVENT wear the same type of helmet in XCOM 2 or they just wear normal type armor with red and black?
On the other note, the past has finally catching up to Harris.
oooooh shit!
We all know how that would have gone.
Matt, internally:
[youtube=h1wy41Ezzf8]
Oh boy... Matt better sleep with one eye open as long as she's in the camp.
Oh yes, yes.
Can you tell me which chapter you did reference on the last lines? I don't remember such event.
Matt, internally:
media.giphy.com/media/3rgXByB0tbT7oXK7Xq/giphy.gif
7015133
It's from waaaaaay back in stardust, and it's been aluded to several times in passing in mente materia
Twily, internally:
[youtube=Vrm8TV7K4zo]
Everypone in earshot, internally:
[youtube=dBfv3cYJBEY]
To refer to a previous chapter:
"Meld, Son!"
7014952
'I won't go down without a fight!'
'I won't go down without a fight!'
'I won't go down without a fight!'
I see what you did there.
Keep up the good work.
i5.photobucket.com/albums/y182/bookwrack/38523988_zpscb71a9a4.jpg
Yaay, Peter Christopher Lee Worf Van Dorn is in da House.
Someone get this guy a set of vibroblade gauntlets. Lets see how aliens fare against that personal touch, when the only thing that can slow it down is a GSV wall shield or macroscopic thickness of neutronium. And thats before they use the Q field modulation.
Oh dear, is Renfeld a Materia user, or just a normal soldier Very good at their job?
Dear Twilight. Research into Stasis fields can have the most intresting results. If you can get them.
Oh this is going to be interesting the British armed forces have a great culture of martial training and there are a variety of old martial schools that train students how to use swords.
Of course, the badass SAS member knows one of the most useless martial arts ever developed with one of the least effective swords made, wonderful.
Lets just all ignore the great culture and skills passed down in Britain and embrace Japanese memes that have invaded America.
<end>
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand
[youtube=bPCMJC1Ig6s]
I think I'm going to like Renfield, assuming she doesn't turn out to be a traitor.
Neither is it far if you have it all, Van Doorn.
Firefly and Chryssie together are now officially my favourite characters in this fic.
Well, I hope you didn't like all those unbroken bones much, Matt.
7015243
It fits with an SAS operator swallowing hook, line, sinker and most the God Damn pier enemy propaganda (both the target's and the press's but to quote Twain I repeat myself) about the shooting. Not parsing the difference between shooting a kid in a makeshift soccer field and an armed and indoctrinated child soldier with an assault rifle standing guard.
Frankly I'm sick of the number of professional soldiers who don't make the difference, and given Matt isn't in Leavenworth the US Army at least did. And try and take it out on him for being put in such a no-win situation.
I really want Renfeld jerked up short by someone, either Alvar (is he studying English?) or Matt using his powers to disengage and coldly inform the Major if he will refuse to give her the excuse to beat him up for her mistaken view of the situation. At a minimum her name should be mud with the troops already deployed under Matt's command. A good Sergeant can make an asshole officer's life pure hell very easily.
This Advent administration has to be good right? No way you would turn Van Doorn into an officer for the bad guys! Also damn, Matt can't catch a break from those British Military types. Calling Twilight breaking up the fight, Renfeld surprised she can understand and communicate with them without the translators, and feelings being hashed out. That last one I just really hope happens, because damn those 2 need to talk out their feelings since the beginning of the story.
ADVENT Administration
Huh, earth lost, and it didn't even happen on screen.
And now ADVENT is getting cozy right in the middle of Canterlot. You just can't give Matt a break, can you?
Well played, Arad. I look forwards to seeing how this plays out.
Why the hell do I want a Ciaphas Cain and Jurgen type story with these two.
Peter van Doorn - badass by name and rank, has a well know reputation for being a complete badass. In reality really cares more about his self interest and staying alive, only reason he has the reputation is due to over exaggeration of events or anytime he goes to try and stay out of the fight ends up in a fight for his life, however he is still a complete badass when it truly comes to it.
Major Elizabeth Renfield - colonels aid, is pretty much unknown at large (beside the people she serves with regularly and her superior who sees her as a very loyal companion), most see as someone pretty basic/expendable compared to superior, is a complete badass in combat.
vignette4.wikia.nocookie.net/warhammer40k/images/1/11/Ciaphas_Cain_and_Valhallans.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20130503054641
Had me laughing for a good few minutes, plus borrowing this as my new conversation starter/ introduction line. Please pray for my sole, as I may not return from Glasgow this weekend.
7015428 Just to add to my previous comment...
I meant to say this a chapter or two ago. I hope you don't mind some frank criticism. While up to the last 2 or 3 chapters you've done nothing but floor me with how amazing your writing is, I couldn't quite understand your decision to add in that crossover from Sweetie Belle Chronicles. I know of the source material, heard it's decent, but haven't read it. So the sudden arrival and frankly poorly executed introduction of alternate universe Sweetie has thrown me off and almost put me off the story completely. I have no idea what it was like for those who don't know of the source material but I can only imagine it was a mix of confusion and frustration at the sudden introduction of what comes across at first glance as a know-it-all Mary Sue. I'm not normally one to question a better writer, but I've always been under the impression that things like crossing over other fanfics as major plot devices is something....I guess the best word I can come up with is 'unrefined'. Maybe you'll surprise me by doing it incredibly well, but what I've seen so far doesn't lend much confidence. Perhaps I am a little biased (maybe even admittedly butthurt) as I was quite annoyed by Alternate Sweetie stealing Matt's thunder and comforting Twilight in his stead. It felt like a great moment the two could have shared was stolen by this upstart Mary-Sue. Furthermore, the resolution of Twilight's insecurities, whether by herself or with the help of a close friend, should have been in itself a great moment of character development. I'm sure you're aware of this but you're a master of writing conflict, and it's really shown in both Stardust and Mente Materia. Readers read to seek out that satisfaction of seeing conflict resolved. The worst thing you could do is weaken that impact by offering a cheap resolution, a 'deus ex machina'. And wow does Alternate Sweetie reek of deus ex machina. Perhaps she's had plenty of character development to earn that role in her own fanfic but Alternate Sweetie certainly hasn't had enough character development, reader investment or, heck, introduction in this story to suddenly resolve a significant conflict for Twilight. Perhaps if she was given more time, her backstory/motivations/ability to so easily resolve conflicts was explored in more detail, I'd have a little less trouble accepting her. As it stands, however, her introduction was sudden and rushed with nothing offered to justify her influence over the story's conflicts. To give an analogy, it would be something akin to a red and black alicorn appearing from the future to teach Twilight how to use the magic of friendship to defeat Nightmare Moon or solve the Magical Mystery Cure.
And don't get me started on that I'm-mysterious-and-I-know-more-than-you air she gives off every time she as much as appears on the page. The number of times I just put my tablet down in frustration before later picking it back up and forcing myself to read past her appearances....
Sorry for the rant. You're a good writer so perhaps in time you'll prove me wrong. Maybe I'm already wrong. But at the moment it just feels like such a shame that such an excellent story was marred by what strikes me as a rash and poorly executed choice in story development.
Otherwise, keep up the good work.
Wha-?
Oh balls
*ahem* I consider myself a fairly restrained individual. A man who knows how to keep his emotions in check during a normal situation, no matter what stimulation may be applied...
This, of course, was no match for the reveal of XCOM Equestria's new commanding officer. I believe my reaction can be summed up thusly:
... so, yeah. Congrats on making me joygasm like a female rookie meeting The General for the first time.
Other stuff.
1 - Getting to know The General
Once again, you're characterization of XCOM's stock soldiers strikes true. Van Doorn has that confident swagger we all know and love from Long War with enough humility to make him someone you'd grab a beer with after work. The icing on the cake is the fact that his exploits during his rescue, although greatly exaggerated, are something the Equestrians don't have a hard time believing. I guess when you live in a world of dragons and ancient magic a lone man taking down alien death robots with his bare hands doesn't sound so fare-fetched.
Still, this is The General we're talking about. Some of those feats probably did happen and the universe decided to retcon them from existence because they were too awesome to handle.
2 - Major Renfeld and the ADVENT Coalition
out of him for inadvertently causing her brother's death. At least Matt's gonna come out of this with enough sword experience to be XCOM's premiere Ranger operative.
Aside from the fact she was introduced wearing a color pattern that might as well belong on an ADVENT Officer's uniform, her entire demeanor towards Matt instantly made me think "infiltrator." Although I'm initially relieved that doesn't seem to be the case, her past with Matt is probably going to be just as unnerving. It feels like Miss Renfeld pulled some strings with her father just to get a chance at beating the sh-
And speaking of XCOM 2 aspects, let's not forget Lord Renfeld initially gave that speech about ADVENT uniting humanity to repel the invaders. I'm guessing that, despite wearing the uniform, Major Renfeld and Van Doorn won't be part of their true alien-run agenda once it's revealed. At least, I hope not, 'cause if The General turns on them, no power in the universe could save Earth or Equestria.
3 - Firefly - Bane to Bullies and Bashful Ponies
And now a brief summary of Lil' Firefly talking with Douchebag Tiara and Sh-
head Spoon:
And now Titillated Sparkle:
I know Chrysalis is feeding lines to her daughter through the changeling's network, but I'll be damned if Firefly saying these things verbatim in her usual cheery manner doesn't make her more adorable. And this is from a guy who usually views those love leeches as anything but.
Oh, and Ponyville's top bullies are still alive and they haven't hit their Crusaders of the Lost Mark character breakthrough. If they survive the coming conflicts, their experiences might make them sympathetic and endearing. Till then, they sound like they need to go play with primed plasma grenades.
And that's all for now. Great comedy and plenty of intrigue still in the tank.
Ah yes, another great chapter. Seeing the Chuck Norris of the XCOM-verse joining the fray was something that us editors (at least the two originals who remained and ANY of the new guys who decided to read the story outline Arad made for us to peruse or not to peruse) have been waiting on for a while. Then of course everything with Firefly is always worth a smile. And finally dat revelation about Maj. Renfeld's connection to Matt...
orig06.deviantart.net/f723/f/2012/162/0/c/holy_shit_by_maseb123-d534uzd.jpg
Like the rest of you readers, I too am eager to see how things turn out next chapter!
7015163 I was drinking a Coca-Cola when I read that in the GDoc.... spent the next two minutes both laughing AND in pain as I tried to get soda out of my nasal cavity. And the kiss to the cheek almost ended up a nose boop though Arad put it up to a vote for us to decide. You can see which one won.
7015361
Sadly, when they got an audience, the new major took off her translator so that no one who was there would understand her save for Matt. I mean, it is not like there was any native to planet Equus there who could fluently speak/understand English, has a friendship (and wishes for more) with Matt and already knows his secret, or is a powerful purple magic princess.....
..... wait a tick.....
Yeah, "your sister kept me up last night" is not the smartest thing to tell a big brother, no matter what it is you're actually referring to there.
Holy shit.
Well now that's ominous.
7015243 useless? the creator of Kendo, the Way of the Sword, is said to have won every battle he fought in with a Boken, a wooden sword, and his opponents always had true katana at their side. to say a martial art is less than another is to ignore its strength and its history
Reply time!
7014973
The term 'Advent' was used by Lord Henry Renfeld to indicate the arrival of a new age for Mankind. Whatever that age may be, the Advent soldiers you're seeing now are not the gene modified alien sock puppet troopers you see in XCOM 2.
7015233
Renfeld is (as far as we are aware at this point) a normal soldier, with no gifted potential.
7015243
Remember: her father told her she had to choose a martial school, and she chose kenjutsu to spite him. What are the odds that she's perfectly aware of your points (which were likely made by her father) and she made her decision anyway?
7015333
At this point I'm thinking that Chryssy has finally realised that she can use Firefly as a proxy troll, since nopony can stay angry at the filly with (apparently) not enough common sense to keep her mouth in check.
7015361
An interesting analysis, but missing one bit of insight: her brother was killed horrifically as a result of Matt's shooting. Finch mentioned that she had served in Iraq and Afghanistan, so she's likely well aware of the environment there. No amount of bad circumstances changes the fact that her brother was dead due to the powder keg conditions in the region, and Matt was the one who lit the fuse.
As to the next chapter, interesting things will happen! :D
7015428
The conclusions in your chapter aren't quite accurate, but I can't explain why without spoiling things. I can pose a question to you, if you're familiar at all with Star Wars lore: Was the Republic defeated by the Empire, or did the Republic become the Empire?
7015435
Believe it or not, Van Doorn's in-universe reputation exploded in much the same way as Cain's did, though Van Doorn's isn't entirely by accident. He -was- holding his position to save the lives of two guards using a discarded weapon.
Also, why would I pray for you sole? Are your feet hurting? Did you bang them?
7015574
I thank you for sharing your opinion in a calm and concise manner. It's more than some others have managed.
You are also entitled to your opinion and I won't belittle or insult you for having one that's different from mine.
There is one thing I wanted to point out: If you aren't familiar with TSC, it might appear that Sweetie is the dreaded 'Mary Sue,' but I've read through all of TSC, and she had bled for every ability and skill she has, and gone through things that would have broken a lesser character. Over the course of her story she has needed to learn and adapt to survive. She isn't a Mary Sue because of this, but from what I understand it seems that the definition for the term is somewhat nebulous. YMMV I guess?
7015610
Did you notice that the names of the other squadmates in Doorn's team are of the Long War Team? :P
And I was hoping folks would enjoy Van Doorn's appearance. It's something I've been sitting on for like six months. As for Renfeld and the Coalition, I'll leave you to your speculation. :P
7015802
As sorry as I am to have to say it, I am with Pen Mightier there. The problem is that it doesn't actually matter what Sweetie has gone through in her own story. She's an out-of-context character. She didn't really belong here and neither did her abilities. None of those things she went through are things that we've seen in this story. They don't actually matter to anyone who hasn't read the other one and probably also never will. In a very real sense, she is a deus ex machina. She's a plot device imposed on the story from the outside. She doesn't really have a native place in it.
Well, under the bottom line, it's over and done with and the problem has now more or less solved itself. I figured it still deserved saying, though - all those things you pointed out may have mattered to you while you wrote these chapters, but to anyone else, who's just reading this story on its own merits? It probably doesn't and won't ever.
I want to see a picture of psionic General Van Dorn locked in unarmed combat with meld enhanced Governor Armstrong. This needs to be a thing.
7015574
That reason right there is the reason I hate crossovers. When executed well, such as this Xcom/MLP one in general right here, they can be great. But far to many authors rely upon the reader being familiar with the source material. If they aren't they are lost or miss crucial details. If the author addresses it, they waste to much time and pacing trying to explain this already established universe and how the hell it fits into what is going on. Throwing sweetie bell with no context like that, not to mention the deus ex machina saving pinkie pie, was a huge wrench in my enjoyment of the last few chapters. Even the aftermath of Lana's death was overshadowed by my "Wtf is going on" factor.
7015854 Best I could find.
[youtube=-eDSt8OHkx0]
Well then... umm...
7015802 Not modded, but they could've been made an offer they couldn't refuse.
So Advent is lead by humans now huh, well as long as they don't try to backstab Xcom, it's all good.
Another chapter closer to seeing the confession which is honestly becoming the sole thing I am thinking about ever (help me)
7015251 The true hero being Matt in this case, I imagine.
7015854 Well, I can get you half of that request...
boards.fireden.net/foolfuuka/boards/vg/image/1441/57/1441578261657.gif
7015882
7015832
At this point I'm going to kindly request that we drop the topic. The only reason I responded to the first comment was because it was from someone I hadn't recognized leaving their comment. At this point I feel like I've heard every possible complaint on the subject, and not a whit of appreciation for the lengths I went to in order to cater to those that shouted the loudest when this was announced. I even specifically made a point of compartmentalizing the chapters in which she appeared so that the most strident of critics could simply skip over them. I'm not going to respond to this subject any further, as I've explained why I chose to let TSC Sweetie show up in this story multiple times, apparently to people who will not be swayed no matter what I say.
So I'm choosing to say nothing else.
Also, I fail to see how Pinkie's rescue is relevant to this conversation. Maud saved Pinkie.
7015854
XD
7015995
I imagine blackmail is less effective when it's directed towards the people you're putting in charge of your armies...
7016192
You're not alone!
7016310
Apologies, mis-remembered. I recall reading that chapter and being confused about Sweeties appearance and initially thought it was from pinkie's rescue as Maud was kind of out of the blue as well. That deus ex I've no problems with, even if it was unexpected.
Alicorns are immortal because of kessen-chu confirmed.
Ahhh General Van Dorn my favorite soldier in Xcom.....I would always shove his ass in titan armor and other health upgrades. He was a tanking and killing machine.
7015802 Was thinking the same, they just work perfect together and she can always claim that these were her own private musings not meant for public knowledge.
7015890 False. The only thing Chuck Norris does is allow them to lose. If he himself loses, it is a scripted event to progress a story line or give someone more self esteem.