Basics of CQC
Compared to the rest of Canterlot Castle, the training rooms for the Royal Guard could be considered rather plain by comparison. While the rooms and ceilings matched the rest of the castle, they were void of any decorations barring the targets used in the room for archery training and had plain stone floors instead of the marble floors seen throughout the rest of the castle. The floors were that way for a reason, though; it was the closest the guards and recruits could get to the kinds of rough terrain they might have to fight on without needing to leave the castle. It wasn’t unusual for the princesses to make an appearance there, but tonight, they were in one of the rooms for something a little more interesting.
In the room meant for training for close-range combat, Shining Armor and his parents could only stare at what they were seeing and wonder how things got to this point. Twilight was sitting on the ground on one side of the room with that tube back in her mouth, seemingly unconcerned with what was about to happen as she exhaled the smoke and breathed it in, while Rainbow Dash was on the other side of the room doing her warmup stretches and exercises, alternating between being serious about it and showing off. Every few moments, the two mares would exchange a smirk at each other across the room.
Finally, Shining couldn’t take anymore and walked over to Twilight, standing over her as he asked, “Twilight, why did you agree to this? You do remember what the doctor said, don’t you?”
Twilight pulled her paipo out of her mouth and took a moment to blow its smoke out of her mouth off to the side before looking up at him and saying, “Yes I remember what he said, Shining, and I’m going to do what he told me to.”
Cadance stepped up beside her husband and knelt down next to Twilight as she asked, “Then why are you going to fight with Rainbow Dash, Twilight? It just seems like the kind of thing that goes against what he said.”
Twilight replied, “I can understand why you think that, Cadance, but it really doesn’t. Rainbow and I aren’t fighting for real; this is just a friendly tussle, the kind she and Applejack like to do.”
Rainbow called, “You bet I like those! And I’m going to win this one for sure!”
Twilight rolled her eyes before continuing, “Basically, this isn’t actually going against what the doctor ordered.”
Shining asked, “What do you mean it doesn’t? We’re talking about a fight here! Friendly or not, you’re still moving your body and putting yourself at risk of getting hit! The doctor told you to take it easy!”
Twilight replied, “Right, no strenuous physical activity. This isn’t going to be strenuous.”
Shining argued, “Anypony would say otherwise. I’ve never seen any member of the Royal Guard start practicing when they were still healing.”
Twilight countered, “Amanda was getting the Boss’ training and practicing when she was still on crutches, and our agreement made it so she could be more active than she was before. Once you left the Sick Bay, you were free to get right back to whatever you were doing before. That included combat training; whether on the beach or in the ocean, we could all be each other’s practice buddy because we knew not to take it too far.”
Cadance looked at her favorite filly with a worried look, “That’s the thing, though. I can imagine this isn’t the sort of thing Rainbow Dash and Applejack usually have competitions over. What if she accidentally goes too far?”
Twilight replied, “That wouldn’t surprise me.”
Shining asked, “And what if you hit the ground hard?”
Twilight smiled, “I talked to Pinkie about taking care of that part.”
Suddenly the entrance door swung open and Pinkie came in walking, pulling behind her a cart filled with fluffy white objects. “Ding ding ding! Your order has arrived, Twilight! Thank you for choosing Pinkie’s ‘My Little Pillow’ Delivery and Setup Service!” she chirped.
While Twilight smiled at Pinkie’s behavior, Rainbow raised an eyebrow. “Pillows? What are they for?” she asked.
Celestia, who was sitting along the wall with the others, smiled, “Ah, I see. The pillows are meant to cushion any impacts with the ground, aren’t they, Pinkie?”
Pinkie replied as she began to unload the pillows, “Yes indeedy, Princess! These pillows are super comfortable and great for any kind of fight, even this kind! They’re soft, but they won’t let you hurt yourself when you fall! Perfect for spry and tender ponies alike!” As she began arranging and laying the pillows on the floor, she whispered, “And the readers might find this a fun little reference as well.”
Up against the wall, Spike looked at Twilight worriedly, her calm demeanor not exactly putting him at ease. It wasn’t that he wasn’t used to seeing Twilight relaxed; it was more the fact that she was treating this the same way she would treat having to read several tall stacks of books in one weekend that was foreign to him. “I don’t know if I like this, you guys…” he uttered.
Next to him, Applejack said, “Ah don’t either, Spike, but… well, she didn’t grab me earlier, but Ah can tell Twilight’s been committed to makin’ more than just her brain better since we last saw her. Even if her muscles were screamin’ at her, it ain’t easy liftin’ and throwin’ another pony with just one hoof. Ah can vouch fer that.”
Rarity spoke from Spike’s other side, “Applejack, really! Twilight being on the competitive level of you and Rainbow Dash? It’s unheard of!” She turned to look at Fluttershy, “Fluttershy, you take care of sick and hurt animals. You make sure that they’re at their best before you let them go. Even without that, surely you don’t agree with this.”
To her surprise, the shy pegasus simply smiled back at her. “I don’t know, Rarity. I’m sure Rainbow Dash will know not to push Twilight too hard after all the times she’s been hurt. And to be honest, getting a bit rough before, during, and after receiving treatment isn’t a bad thing. It can actually be helpful for getting certain kinks out,” she said, thinking about her sessions with Harry while she talked.
Next to Fluttershy, Luna glanced up at Celestia and murmured, “Sister… do you have a secret desire to see what your former protégé is capable of as well?”
Celestia kept looking forward, watching Pinkie put the last of the pillows down to cover the last bits of exposed floor in the square as she replied, “Admittedly, I do miss the sessions Twilight and I would have where she would show me what she learned. I’m sure there’s no magic involved here, but I do want to see what she’s learned while she’s been apart from us. Perhaps she can show us some things that would be good for the Royal Guard to know as well.”
Pinkie stood up straight a moment later and announced, “All set! This floor is now completely risk-free when it comes to injuries! No chance of anypony getting hurt due to a fall now!” Indeed, every inch of the square was covered by fluffy white pillows. “Tonight’s big party bash is between Rainbow Dash and Twilight Sparkle, so if your name isn’t either, go find your seat!” she finished as she trotted over to the others, Shining Armor and Cadance reluctantly doing the same.
While their son and his wife sat down, Mrs. Sparkle looked at her husband and said, “Twilight is always able to do impressive things with her magic. I’d love to see her put on an amazing show with just her hooves as well!”
Mr. Sparkle looked back at her a bit uncertainly as he replied, “Yes, well… as long as such a show doesn’t cause her to get hurt, dear. Like Shining said, the doctor gave her specific orders and Twilight is usually good about doing what she’s told.” Facing forward again, he added, “I’m just glad that Discord left. As… entertaining as he might be, I can’t imagine what he would be doing now if…”
He was cut off when the draconequus in question suddenly appeared nearby, a cacophony of trumpets to herald his arrival that surprised everyone save for Fluttershy, the shy pegasus just smiling at his return. Twilight didn’t seem as shocked as she was last time, though she did take a few more puffs from her paipo to make sure her nerves were calm. Looking down at everyone against the wall, he questioned, “Did someone say my name? My ears are burning~.” Indeed, his ears were on fire and he promptly threw water from a glass at them to put them out.
As he lowered his eagle claw, everyone noticed what he had on his head. “Uh, what’s with the green hat, Discord?” Spike asked, pointing up at the visor over his brow.
Discord glanced up at it for a moment before replying, “Oh, this old thing? I just thought it would be appropriate for this.” He then held up his lion paw and eagle claw, which were both clutching little slips of paper. “I’ve got bits riding on this,” he explained.
Mr. Sparkle looked up at him with a perturbed expression. “You made bets on my daughter and her friend?! That’s the ‘important business’ you had to take care of?!” he asked.
Discord simply smiled as he leaned up against the wall, “Oh, will you relax? I did say that, but they’re simple bets. All I bet is twenty bits that Twilight will lose… because I’m sure she got lucky last time and won’t be as lucky this time. The other fifty bits I’ve bet is that she’ll crack and try to use magic to even things up, which will instantly disqualify her and cause her to lose. You see? Simple.” He got a few annoyed looks at that, though Fluttershy, Pinkie, Mrs. Sparkle, and Celestia weren’t among them.
While Rainbow grinned at the fact that Discord was so sure she was going to win, Twilight simply took one last puff from her paipo and, as she pulled it out of her mouth, muttered to herself, “Self-fulfilling prophecy, huh? Let’s find out.” She then retrieved the cap and clipped it back on the tube, tucking it back into its pouch before standing up and walking towards Rainbow Dash as the pegasus did the same.
As they came to a stop a fair distance from each other on the pillow-covered field, Rainbow asked, “You still need a few minutes, Twilight?” At the alicorn’s confused look, she said, “I didn’t see you stretching at all this entire time. You’ve just been puffing on that tube of yours.”
Twilight asked, “So?”
Rainbow replied, “Don’t you know you’re supposed to stretch before you do something like this, egghead? This is gonna be over quick if you pull a muscle. You should’ve been warming up like me.”
Twilight replied, “I think I’ll be fine, Rainbow.”
Rainbow asked, “You sure? I’d hate for you to lose before you can show me what you’ve supposedly learned.”
Twilight glanced in Discord’s direction as she remarked, “I bet Discord would like that. He’d get to collect his bets sooner.” She then looked back at her friend, “And what I’ve learned? We don’t do this sort of thing often, so I hope you’re actually going to try to face me and not just stand there.”
Rainbow smirked, “You wanna see what I can do, egghead? You got it!” She bent forward on her forelegs, opening her wings and extending them upwards.
At this, Applejack called, “Hey Rainbow, ya can’t do that! Twilight can’t use her wings; that’s an unfair advantage!”
Rainbow argued, “Hey, I don’t want to send her back to the hospital, Applejack! I’d rather get this over with quick to avoid that!”
Twilight spoke, “She can use her wings, Applejack. She’s free to use whatever means she has at her disposal.”
Rainbow thrust a hoof in the lavender alicorn’s direction, “See? She doesn’t want to get hurt again and she doesn’t want to hurt me. It’s easy.” Applejack wasn’t sure her friend’s logic was sound, but she decided not to say any more.
Meanwhile, Discord chuckled to himself, saying, “Ah, I can taste those bits already,” earning a few odd looks from some of the ponies.
Twilight looked back at Rainbow and said, “All right, Rainbow. Would you like to go first?”
The cyan pegasus replied, “You bet! Here I come!” She suddenly shot forward, causing Twilight to brace herself, but at the last second, she changed direction and flew up, starting to fly quicker as she shot around the room. Twilight tried to keep up with her, but after a few seconds, she lost sight of the rainbow blur and began to worry as she frantically looked around for her.
A moment later, she let out a soft gasp as Rainbow came to a stop in front of her, her right hoof resting on Twilight’s chest. She smirked, “Gotcha! What do you say to that, egghead?” Twilight responded a moment later by bringing both of her hooves up and grabbing the end of Rainbow’s foreleg. In one swift movement, she spun around and threw Rainbow over her shoulder, the pegasus crying out “Whoa!” as she was thrown and letting out a grunt when her back hit the ground despite landing on one of the pillows.
Twilight stood over her friend and calmly said, “You left yourself open, Rainbow.”
Rainbow opened her eyes and looked up at the lavender alicorn, “Okay, I’ll give it to you, Twilight, you got me that time. So, you wanna wrestle, do you?” She swung her head up as she got up off her back, Twilight leaping back to avoid a collision, and leapt to her hooves. She then whirled around and ran towards Twilight, trying to grab her as she got close. Twilight stepped back while keeping an eye on her friend’s hooves. The speedster wasn’t making it easy to avoid her hooves, but she kept trying to keep some distance between them.
After a few moments, Rainbow lunged forward with her right hoof outstretched. Twilight fell back on her flanks and held up both of her hooves, catching Rainbow’s hoof between them. Both mares grunted as Rainbow tried to pull her hoof free, but Twilight refused to let go. Despite her legs being almost as toned as her wings due to her athletic nature, Rainbow couldn’t help but notice that Twilight’s legs had a fair amount of muscle in them as well, muscle she couldn’t remember her friend having.
Suddenly, Twilight gave Rainbow’s hoof a hard push, causing her to reel backwards with only her back hooves on the ground. While she was like this, Twilight rushed forward and pressed her hoof up against Rainbow’s chest, pushing her onto her back with a grunt. She leapt to her hooves and said, “Hey, knock it off!” She began throwing her hooves at Twilight again, faster than before. While she didn’t make contact with her, she soon managed to throw the lavender alicorn off-balance, causing her to fall onto her flanks with a yelp. Despite the cushioning beneath her, everyone looked at her with concern when she landed.
Twilight’s eyes soon shifted up to look at Rainbow Dash, however, and she rocked her body forward slightly before rocking backwards. Then, in one swift movement, she kept going backwards and, before her back hit the ground, threw her forehooves out and caught herself on the tips of them and swung her the lower half of her body upwards, bringing her hind legs down first and sliding back slightly as she landed. It was a pretty impressive maneuver, considering the pony that pulled it off, and she landed in a battle-ready stance.
A moment later, she spread her wings out and stood up on her hind legs, holding her forelegs out in front of her, one hoof more forward than the other. Rainbow raised an eyebrow at this. She noticed from the small movements they made that Twilight was using her wings to help her maintain her balance on two legs, but why would she want to stand like that? “What’s with the goofy stance, Twilight?” she asked, but she received no response. Shrugging, she charged towards Twilight again, trying to grab her, but the lavender alicorn hopped to the side, using her wings to steady herself upon landing, and turned to grab the pegasus’ right foreleg before she could pull it back. She then pulled it up slightly and held it there with her left hoof while she swiftly moved to her friend’s front and pressed her hoof against her face, pushing her onto her back.
As she took a few unsteady steps back, Twilight remarked, “Does that answer your question, Rainbow?” The cyan pegasus replied with a growl; she was starting to get sick of all the falls and crashes she was being put through. She leapt up and spread her wings, using them to hover just above the floor as she moved towards Twilight again. Her right hoof extended forward as she got close again, only for Twilight to catch it with her left hoof and bring her right hoof forward, pushing the pegasus backwards a bit. She then did a few hops forward and tried to do the same thing Rainbow did, but her hoof was blocked by both of Rainbow’s hooves. Before Twilight could react, Rainbow pulled her hooves back and then shot forward with them outstretched, pressing them against Twilight’s chest and knocking her onto her back.
Twilight looked up as Rainbow stood over her, smirking down at her as she pinned her to the ground. She smirked back up at her, saying, “Well, looks like you got me, Rainbow.”
Rainbow leaned down and said, “Sure looks that way, Twilight. So, what do you say?”
Twilight simply replied, “Equilibrium is important.” Rainbow gave her a confused look. Suddenly, Twilight managed to slip her right hind leg out from under Rainbow’s hoof and swung it straight up, hitting her friend’s rear. Rainbow let out a yelp as she tumbled forward, Twilight pulling her forehooves out and up to catch her. She quickly stood up and moved behind Rainbow, holding her in place for a moment before suddenly whirling around and throwing her to the ground a short distance away. Rainbow wasn’t able to stop herself from hitting the ground, but she did manage to roll on her side when she hit the ground, quickly popping up afterwards. The two looked at each other for a moment before they began going at it again.
While the two continued to grapple, off on the side, everyone was really starting to get into the friendly tussle, even those who had had their doubts about Twilight being able to perform well as she was. “Come on, Twily, keep it up!” Shining cheered.
“What is this, amateur night? Topple her, Rainbow Dash! I’ve got bits riding on you!” Discord heckled.
“Be careful, Twilight! Uh, but keep, er, fighting too,” Mr. Sparkle called, adding the last part as his wife gave him a look.
“Wow, Twilight’s really good at this!” Spike said.
“Yes, surprisingly. She never struck me as the type to enjoy fisticuffs before,” Rarity remarked.
“Even though she’s healin’, she’s still a pretty good match fer Rainbow Dash. Maybe she’d like ta give me a show when she’s all healed up…” Applejack mused.
After a minute, Twilight was back up on her hind legs and Rainbow was hovering above the ground again, both with their forelegs in front of them. Rainbow shot forward swinging her right hoof, only for Twilight to turn to the side and grab her foreleg with both hooves and push it down. She then shifted her left foreleg, placing it next to Rainbow’s neck, and raised up her left hind leg to kick Rainbow’s right hind leg. It didn’t do much since the pegasus was in the air, but the momentary distraction gave Twilight a chance to push her friend down and get a firm hold of her, holding her by her foreleg and under her head. Rainbow was in a bit of an awkward position as she struggled to get free, being up on two legs with her left hind leg in front of her right. When slapping at Twilight’s left hoof proved fruitless, she suddenly swung her left hind leg behind her and hit the inside of Twilight’s right hind leg.
Almost as soon as the hoof hit, Twilight’s eyes widened in shock. She suddenly released Rainbow as a hiss of pain escaped her lips, hopping backwards on her left hind leg while she brought up her right hind leg and held it with both hooves as she uttered, “Ah! Ow! Ooh!” She was too distracted by the sudden pain to notice what she was doing and she soon fell onto her back, still holding her leg up.
Rainbow looked back at her, surprised by her reaction. She walked over to the lavender alicorn and asked, “Hey Twilight, what are you doing? I didn’t hit you that hard, did I?”
Twilight, while trying to push herself up into a sitting position, managed, “I guess this spot’s still kind of tender.” She succeeded in getting onto her flanks and wrestled the boot on her right hind leg off, tossing it to the side before she began rubbing her leg where it hurt.
Rainbow’s eyes widened when she saw the bandages on Twilight’s leg, particularly the small red-orange spot on them. She and her other friends had seen the bandages on Twilight’s left foreleg, but the princesses and Shining Armor were the only ones who had seen the bandages on her hind legs and the pegasus was now worried that she’d managed to break her friend’s skin. “Oh geez! Twilight, I’m so sorry! I didn’t… I didn’t know you were bandaged down there! I thought it was just the one leg!” she cried.
Twilight took a sharp intake of breath before saying, “How would you have known, Rainbow? It’s not like I made a point of showing off my injuries.” She managed to lift the bandages enough to peek underneath at where her injury had been and said a moment later, “It doesn’t look like it’s bleeding. That’s just dried blood.” She looked up at Rainbow and asked, “Uh, could I just get five minutes to let this sit, Rainbow? Is that okay?”
The pegasus replied, “No it’s not okay! You can take all the time you need! This thing is over!” Rainbow noticed the look that appeared on Twilight’s face and said, “Look, you proved your point, Twilight! You have gotten better! This was fun, yeah, but I’m not going to put you back in the hospital! We can do this again when you’re feeling better! For now… let’s just call it a draw, okay?” Twilight thought for a moment before nodding in agreement.
Shining heard a tearing sound above him and turned to see Discord angrily tearing up his betting slips, throwing them in his mouth when they were confetti and chewing them up while he crossed his arms and sulked. While Fluttershy looked up at him worriedly, Shining simply remarked, “It’s not Twilight’s fault you made the wrong choice,” as he walked over to Rainbow and Twilight with the others.
Twilight settled down on her small stack of pillows, Pinkie having already rearranged all the pillows she had laid down so everyone could sit on the floor. Twilight looked at Luna as the Lunar Princess said, “That was rather impressive, Twilight Sparkle. It seems magic isn’t the only thing you learn quickly.”
Twilight blushed, “Well, it did take me a while to learn how to properly learn how to utilize what I was being taught, Princess Luna. After all, everyone who was teaching and learning Snake’s fighting style had hands and I didn’t.”
Celestia nodded and spoke, “There was a lot of grabbing and throwing. So, Snake was well-versed in martial arts, Twilight?”
Twilight said, “Martial arts? No, that was Close-Quarters Combat, Princess.”
Shining said, “Well, yeah, that’s what you were doing just now, Twilight. You were fighting with Rainbow Dash up close. That’s what close-quarters fighting is.”
Twilight replied, “I know that, Shining, but that’s literally what Snake called it: CQC. That’s what his combat technique was called.”
Rainbow commented, “Seems like kind of an unoriginal name to me.”
Twilight said, “Yeah, I guess so. It seemed like it was pretty unique, though. The Peace Sentinels didn’t practice it; they only kind of knew how to counter it at best.”
Cadance asked, “Was Snake self-taught, Twilight?”
The lavender alicorn replied, “No, he actually developed it with his mentor, The Boss, Cadance.”
Applejack groaned softly, “Another fake name…?”
Luna asked, “The Boss? What was he like, Twilight?”
Twilight answered, “Actually, The Boss was a she, Luna, and I don’t know.” She looked off to the side, “After what I heard about her, I wish I could’ve met her…”
Pinkie suddenly popped up next to Twilight, surprising her as she asked, “How come you didn’t meet her, Twilight? Was she super busy when you were at Mother Base?”
Twilight started, “No, Pinkie, that’s not…”
The pink pony interrupted, “Oh, so she wasn’t there at the time! She must’ve been away on a mission! A really top super-secret mission, I bet!”
Twilight glanced up and to the side as she said, “Uh, from what I understand, that’s the LAST thing she did, but…”
Pinkie spoke, “Yeah, I bet she was on a really important mission! Learning secrets, stopping bad guys, helping Snake…”
Twilight angrily cut her off, “Pinkie!” When the party pony stared at her in confusion, her voice became softer as she said, “Pinkie… she’s dead.”
Pinkie looked down at the floor as she sadly said, “Oh…”
Rainbow gave Twilight a glare, “Well, that was one way to put it, Twi’. You couldn’t have, I don’t know, found a nicer way to say it?”
Twilight looked back at her, “I’m sorry, but when someone who was really important to a lot of people has been dead for ten years… no, I can’t think of another way to say it that doesn’t dance around the issue. Snake w- IS where he is right now largely because the country he turned his back on ordered him to kill her.”
This new information surprised everyone. “Snake killed his own teacher?” Rarity gawked.
“Teacher, mother figure, something more important… I don’t know all the details, but I do know The Boss was really important to Snake and he hasn’t been the same since he ended her life,” Twilight said.
Applejack asked, “So why did he do it?”
Twilight took a breath and sighed before she began to explain, “Ten years ago, they were both sent to the East into Russian territory on separate but intertwined top-secret missions. Snake’s mission was to infiltrate enemy territory and rescue a scientist who had been brought back against his will to develop a new weapon, and destroy said weapon if it was nearing completion.”
Celestia asked, “What sort of weapon was it, Twilight?”
Twilight answered, “Well, from what I gathered, it was a tank capable of carrying and launching a nuclear missile. I think Snake said it was called the Shagohod. I don’t know all of the details, but he said that the Pupa was a miniature, AI-driven version of it. Uh, minus the whole nuclear missile thing, too.”
Luna asked, “And The Boss’ mission?”
Twilight replied, “To betray her country.”
She expected the nonplussed reaction she received from everyone. “What,” Rainbow uttered.
Twilight spoke, “It wasn’t a real betrayal, of course, but her act had to be convincing if she was going to succeed. I guess it started when she showed up right in front of Snake when he was on the verge of completing his mission, stealing the scientist and the weapon back, breaking his arm, and throwing him off a rope bridge into a river at the bottom of a canyon.”
Spike winced, “Ouch. That sounds like it hurt.”
Shining asked, “Was that… necessary? She could’ve killed him doing that.”
Twilight replied, “I know, Shining, but I guess he’s survived worse, and it did work. The colonel she was trying to get close to took her and the present she brought with her without any questions. She had to convince him since her mission was to recover the Philosopher’s Legacy, an enormous sum of money that was amassed by a secret group during the first war that consumed their world, and it was all in his possession.”
Cadance muttered, “I still can’t believe their entire world got caught up in war, and not just once but twice…”
Rainbow asked, “How did this colonel get it?”
Twilight answered, “Apparently his father was one of the people in charge of the large sum and he inherited it, so it was stolen. This essentially allowed him to do whatever he pleased. America wanted his plans stopped, but secretly, they also wanted to recover the entire Legacy.”
Mrs. Sparkle asked, “And… they both succeeded?”
Twilight said, “Yes, they did. But that meant they could no longer put off the fact that they would have to face each other one last time in battle.”
Mr. Sparkle stammered, “But… her defection wasn’t real! They weren’t actually on opposite sides! They didn’t need to fight!”
Twilight replied, “But they did have to, dad. Snake’s orders included eliminating The Boss in order to prove America’s innocence and keep what really happened a secret, and The Boss had already accepted that in order for the operation for to be a complete success, she would have to die. She knew from the beginning that she would be remembered as a war criminal instead of a hero.”
Pinkie, who looked ready to cry at any moment, asked, “Why would she do that?”
Twilight closed her eyes, recalling, “‘I’m loyal to the end, to my purpose. The world must be made whole again’.” She opened her eyes, “Those were some of The Boss’ last words before she and Snake fought. Despite whatever happened to her during her life, she never lost faith in her country or the idea of a world without borders. She gave her life for it.”
Rainbow sat back as she thought about that, muttering, “Whoa…”
Shining asked, “But… that hasn’t happened yet, has it? That world is still caught up in this Cold War thing?”
Twilight nodded, “Yeah… And even if Snake eventually moved on to accept his new title, I don’t think he ever let go of what he did.”
Celestia tilted her head, “His new title?”
Twilight replied, “In addition to the medals he received, Snake also received the title of ‘Big Boss’ when he returned home, but he wasn’t using it when I met him. Guess he never really thought himself worthy of it, and the fact that everything he’d been led to believe during his mission turned out to be a lie… I don’t think The Boss’ death was the only reason he turned his back on his country, but I know it was a big part of that decision. And The Boss was the main reason he was in Costa Rica in the first place.”
Applejack asked, “What did The Boss have to do with that Peace Walker thing?”
Twilight explained, “Snake and Miller were approached with the job by a man who introduced himself as Galvez. He claimed he was a professor at a school, but they saw right away that he was lying. He was actually a Russian agent named Zadornov who was looking to take advantage of what the CIA was doing in Costa Rica. He had a girl named Paz with him; she was the blonde girl standing next to me in the photo. She had a tape player with her containing a recording of someone talking to another person, and that other person sounded like The Boss.”
Pinkie spoke up, “Really? So, she actually was alive? Well, why did you say she was dead then, Twilight?”
Twilight replied, “Because she was, Pinkie, but at that that time, she kind of wasn’t.”
Luna raised an eyebrow, “What do you mean by that, Twilight?”
The lavender alicorn explained, “It turned out the recording on the tape was actually Dr. Strangelove talking to Peace Walker’s Mammal Pod AI. Because she was working for the CIA then, she was able to get everything they had on The Boss, right up to the moment of her death, and put it in the pod’s AI. Mammal Pod basically was The Boss reborn.”
Rainbow asked, “So… she took The Boss’ brain and put it inside the machine like some sort of Nightmare Night monster?”
Pinkie gasped loudly at that, already captivated by the idea, and off to the side, Fluttershy gasped softly and Discord started to look interested, but Twilight said, “That’s… not really what happened, Rainbow. The AI was more like an electronic brain that she shaped by putting information into it, but I guess it’s kind of like that in a way.”
Spike asked, “Why did she do that?”
Twilight answered, “Because The Boss was… really important to her. She thought there was no one better suited to making the complex decisions that Peace Walker would have to make, that she was the only one that the fate of the human race could be entrusted to. But more than anything, she wanted to know what The Boss felt before she died. She wanted The Boss’ will.”
Applejack said, “Sounds disrespectful ta me.” When everyone looked at her, she clarified, “Look, Ah get it. The doctor must’ve really cared about her and it ain’t always easy livin’ with the fact that someone that important to ya is never gonna be around again. Y’all know Ah know that, but still, modelin’ somethin’ like this Peace Walker thing, somethin’ that rides high on expectations and could go wrong fer any number o’ reasons, after someone who’s passed on? It almost feels like graverobbin’ ta me. Was what The Boss wanted really that important ta her?”
Twilight sighed, “It is a tightrope walk, Applejack, like so many other things in that world, but… what The Boss wanted was important to a number of people. And Strangelove hated Snake initially, not just because he killed The Boss, but because he was important enough to her for her to leave Strangelove in the first place. All she really wanted to know was the truth, but her creation did end up in control of Peace Walker. That is true.”
Rainbow asked, “What did she expect something she put together to tell her anyway? She made it; wouldn’t it just tell her what she wanted to hear or not be able to answer her questions in the first place?”
Twilight replied, “That would be the case if we were talking about the Reptile Pod, Rainbow, but remember, the Mammal Pod was designed to be special, better than that. It was capable of independent thought, that’s for sure, and it certainly did shake up the world.” She glanced down at the patch on her right shoulder, uttering, “‘The lonely fox chases the one-eyed hound,’ indeed.” Looking back up at everyone and noticing their confused looks, she said, “More of The Boss’ words. I just… I still vividly remember what happened the day when Peace Walker’s test launch was to be carried out, as well as what happened that led to me being there when it happened…”
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I got what I came for. Did Twilight get a codename during her stay with MSF and eventually Diamond Dogs?
8558710
8558965 Isn't she pregnant with Flurry Heart?
good chapter. a little addition i'd make to twilights explanation i would have made would be that everything was pretty much Volgin's fault for blowing up the base with the davey crocket nuke (and, technically america's fault for trusting a madman with a nuclear RPG). if he hadnt done that, the boss never would have had to become a scapegoat
8567867
I ask if I intrude. but I could not help but notice your review. In the previous chapters I preferred to avoid asking this question, but now that you did it. And a question that I often did, by hypothesis I say, maybe Twilight and returned after a certain thing happened to Ground Zero. hypothetically speaking, then I do not know what the author has in mind.
While for the author compliment for the fighting scenes, you work great and have made them better. Also great is the story of The Boss's story and how Snake was named "Big Boss." the next chapter and one of the scenes that I loved the most about Peace Walker.
8567895
Oh shoot!!! Your right she probably does have Flurry Heart now. Probably not a good idea to spar with Twilight.
8567900
I actually did consider making her summary of the events of MGS3 longer and more detailed, but as I was writing, I realized it might not fit, and when I say that, I don't mean chapter/story length. I mean it felt like it would be a little out of character if Big Boss told Twilight everything that happened during the Virtuous Mission/Operation Snake Eater. What she told everyone here is what she's managed to piece together of the story from what little he's shared with her and what she heard The Boss' AI saying.
As for the whole scapegoat thing... I kind of wonder if it wasn't the CIA's intention in the first place.
8568379
Eh, it was my understanding they, or at least The Boss, wasnt planning on Volgin being a trigger happy asshole. whether the CIA planned on it, or if they're just as utterly incompetent at their jobs as Johnny is at guarding prisoners, is beyond me
8568398
8568379
I admit I have never thought of that, but it's an interesting idea, The Boss was, before Snake took up the mantle, the best soldier in the world up to that point. In addition to this, she stood at the head of a squad of nigh unstoppable superhuman commandoes that had nearly unwavering loyalty to her alone. The incident, though unplanned, could have been set in motion by giving a wild card like Volgin that nuke, which gave them the best opportunity to eliminate The Boss, her compatriots, and secure enough funding to never need to budget again.
All this at the hand of her student, who they perhaps even believed would be easier to control due to his history, assuming he survived the mission at all.
Sorry, I just got struck by that notion. Also sorry if my sentences ramble, I'm a little tired.
Great story though, please keep it up, I'm enjoying it immensely.
Honora Imperator
I really would have liked it if Twilight actually won the fight against Rainbow Dash, but beggars can't be choosers, I guess.
When I mention that, I don't mean Twilight should take RD down in a near instant. Maybe a big fight like what happened here but with the former taking the hard-earned victory.
Yes, I can see why you made her (kind of) lose the fight but I find it just a little bit anti climactic. I mean, Twilight was taught by a master of CQC and stealth yet she couldn't win a fight against a simple egotistical athlete. I know I may be putting RD in a bad light, but it's pretty true. She never really did much but exercise.
I know you made Twilight have an injury to lower her chances, but the way she acted calmly in the fight made me feel that she should have won. Ms. Sparkle must have had a lot of techniques and skills she could use, despite her injury (it's why trained soldiers can fight when under extreme stress) and I feel kind of cheated that she didn't win. Well, a draw is better than nothing, I suppose.
Oh, sorry.
I just realised I've been ranting again... I blame my age.
Wait, I just remembered that she only spent 5 (time differences...) months in the MgS:PW/PP universe.
8568398
8568684
To be fair, I was thinking of the tapes that EVA sent Snake after Peace Walker was stopped when I said that.
8568887
I actually don't mind reading rants if they show evidence of thought being put into them like yours does.
I did consider making Rainbow cry uncle at one point, but I didn't really think it was fair or climactic to do that when neither one of them was actually fighting for real or at full strength. Rainbow might've slipped and gotten more serious than she meant to during the fight, but she wasn't meaning to try too hard this entire time and I didn't think anyone would find it satisfying for Twilight to beat Rainbow when the latter was holding back. And while Twilight might be more relaxed and lenient when it comes to orders, she still listens to them and knows that she could really hurt Rainbow if she got serious. After all, "A soldier's skills aren't meant to be used to hurt friends."
That's true. Do you think it's too soon?
8568887
To be fair there was an episode where RD was shown to be a black belt. So Rainbow should know how to fight. Now wether she has the experience to beat Twilight is up to debate.
Pretty interesting seeing Twilight and RD spar. I honestly liked it ending in a tie. I think it would have been a little more predictable if Twilight won, and like you said it wouldn't have been satisfying if Twilight won while RD was holding back. Next time RD will take her seriously and they can go at it at their best.
Also nice for the ponies to hear the history of Snake and Big Boss.
Good Chalter!!!
8569408
Yes, I can see your point. It does seem very predictable for Twilight to win. But you don't need to have unpredictable plots or actions to have a good story.
Well... I'm not saying that I hate this story, - it's really great! - but I find that having a story that's too well thought out is not the best way to have the reader engage with it. I find that it should be fun and exciting, instead of unpredictable and anti climactic. Well, that's my opinion. I know that it won't really have an effect on your style of writing, since we all have our own preferences and opinions, but there is a lot of people who are very similar to me. Preferences - and not age, I hope.
All I ask is that you should (could, not should; I'm not trying to force you.) focus on entertaining readers with multiple styles.
And of course, one must not cause physical pain for their friends, even in a fight. That is not chivalrous. It will be very interesting to see what you do in order to decide the course of this story.
Curse me and my old age. I need to stop ranting. I must be boring you - or at least removing your soul.
Can I- can I have your soul? Please? I'll put it next to my other souls...
8570651
No. If you take my soul, I'll never be able to tell you, or anyone else, how Game of Thrones ends!
In all seriousness, though, can we just drop this? It feels like this is going nowhere.
8571042
Nooooo! Not Game Of Thrones! Okay... I'll leave you and your soul alone... for now...
Remove extra words and the second learn.
I don't normally comment suggestions unless I really like a story. Sorry if the following corrections bother you.
I like this story, but you've got to look out for repeated words in the same sentence.
I also noticed the following very long run on sentence...
Remove first "it" and replace with "the large sum." Add period instead of comma after "it."
Add "this" and a period.
Rework with less passive voice...
America wanted wanted to halt the mass production of Shagohod and to to recover all the money that had been stolen.