Strike 65- The End of the Long Night
When Lightning Strikes- The End of the Long Night
It had been a few days after what was now known as the ‘Babel Tower incident’ and since then, Equestria as a whole was slowly beginning to heal. The towns and cities that were hit hardest by Nova’s attacks were given aid and resources in order to rebuild the damage from what happened. Many heroes from all across Equestria such as Solaria and Neon Bass of Mane Hero 6 came to help, providing food, medicine and clothing to those who had lost their homes across the country. Yet, that was only the start of what was going to be a rather long recovery.
While the heroes were tending to those who were affected by the senseless actions taken by the departed leader of Sumeragi, the police and royal guard were focused on another task. To quickly seize anything belonging to Sumeragi and get it off the streets. Their weapons were already dangerous enough, but if they were to fall into the hands of ordinary criminals, they could have enough firepower to turn neighborhoods into warzones. So by acting quickly, they could be able to secure their armaments and dispose of them before any creature got hurt.
Yet, despite the entire country trying to mend the wounds that were afflicted on them, some wounds took much longer to heal. Such was the case with some of the heroes that were a part of QUILL. On the day of Babel Tower, two of them had suffered great losses and one underwent a change that they weren’t even aware of. For the last couple of days, Katy had been in a coma while Lance had kept to himself. Only coming out of his room for meals and other necessities.
This made the rest of their team concerned for them, but the hard part was that they did not know how they could help. They did not know much about what happened during the mission or the aftermath of such, so how was it that they could help them when they did not know how too?
Though, fortunately for them, they did not have to wait much longer.
As her eyes slowly began to open, Katy did not find herself on the streets of Baltimare, but instead on a comfy bed inside that of QUILL HQ. She was not aware of how much time had passed, but Katy could tell that something was different. She did not feel weak or tired, but… rejuvenated instead. Like there was a part of her that wasn’t there before. Still, it was all rather difficult for her to understand.
“W-Where am I?” She asked aloud, looking at her surroundings. As she said that, a sliding door to her right opened up, with a surprised Saffron walking in from the other side.
“K-katy! Y-you’re awake,” the unicorn gasped.
“Saffron? W-what happened? Is everyone okay? Where’s Lance?”
“Easy there. You’ve been through a lot,” Saffron ushered her, getting closer to the bed to prevent Katy from doing anything irrational, “You’re back in HQ, and… well, you’ve been out for a while-”
“What’s going out there? The others are going to need help-”
“Katy,” Saffron quickly placed a hoof to her chest, preventing her from moving, “You’ve been out for the last couple of days. After your battle with that one Sumeragi girl, you’ve been in a coma and only woke up just now. Everyone was worried that something happened to you, especially Lance.”
“A coma?” She muttered aloud, shocked that her fight had left in such a state, but she knew something was a bit off with her. Katy figured that after the battle, she’d be in casts and bandages, but she seemed perfectly fine.
“Yeah, though, that’s not the only thing,” the unicorn explained, “While you were in your coma, I noticed something. Something that I think Lance isn’t even aware of yet,” what she told Katy next definitely threw her off guard, “I can feel a septima from you. The same kind that Lance has. Even your hair’s different now and sort of similar to his.”
As Katy looked at her right shoulder, she could see that her previously short black hair was now blonde and had grown significantly. Just as Saffron finished speaking, “I think you’re an adept now, like Lance and I.”
“I’m sorry… what did you say?” She asked.
Saffron let out a sigh, “I’m being serious, Katy. You have powers now, and the same kind as Lance. Which, admittedly, is weird because I thought that every adept had their own separate abilities.” The unicorn then looked away for a moment, her expression changing a bit as it did not go unnoticed by the girl on the bed.
This was all news to Katy, as throughout her entire life she had gone through many changes, both good and bad. She recalled her time as Exuberant Witness, then becoming a synthetic android that had tried to kill Lance, created by Yellow Radio and once again mutated into a human by the same psychopath. And now… because of another incident with an evil being, she was now an Adept. Even though the circumstances were different this time around, the end result was still the same.
Though, it was only now that she noticed the look of distraught on Saffron’s face, “Saff… what’s wrong?”
Saffron then let out a small breath as she looked back at her friend, “Katy… what do you remember from that day?”
“Well… I remember fighting… and… Teal-” She stopped, the memories of what happened becoming painful for her to bare as Katy tried her best to overcome them.
“Katy, I’m… sorry if it’s painful for you to remember,” Saffron told her, “But there’s a reason why I was asking. Ever since that day when he went to go rescue Aurora, Lance is… not the same as he used to be.”
“Saff, what happened to Lance?” She asked, reaching over and grabbing her by her shoulders firmly.
The unicorn was a bit startled by Katy’s sudden actions, but still tried to do her best to explain everything to her, “From what Cody told me, not only was Lance forced to fight one of his best friends from before he was displaced, but he also saw them die right in front of him… and he couldn’t do anything to prevent it from happening. There are times where he acts like he’s fine, but it looks like he’s trying to hide it from us.”
Katy hummed to herself while she tried to process everything she heard and despite going through another change, she knew that wasn’t important and that Lance was her top priority. She needed to see him, to help him. “Where is Lance right now?”
“In his room,” Saffron told her, “Well… your room, since the two of you share it. Why-?”
“Thanks Saff, I’ll talk to you later.” She quickly said, hugging her friend tightly before jumping out of bed and rushed out the door. Not even giving Saffron the chance to stop her as she ended up running into Cody on the way out.
“W-was that Katy I just saw?” he asked.
“Yup.”
“With barely any clothes on?”
Saffron could only blush in embarrassment as she just realized that, but it was too late for her to do anything.
Ever since Babel Tower, the hero who was known as Gunvolt was in a state of disarray. When he became a hero, his goal was not just to save those in need, but to protect those that he cared for the most. However, when that day happened, two severe blows made him question if he could still uphold those goals. The first was the destruction of Power Pony HQ, which led to the loss of his only way to see Max again and the family that they were going to have. The second was his friend Noah, who he could not be able to save and ended up dying that day. He knew that it was not Aurora’s fault for what happened, but the loss of his friend was like salt being poured into an already open wound.
If he was not able to protect those he cared for or save those he called his friends, then what kind of hero was he?
His train of thought was soon interrupted when he heard a loud banging at the door to his room. Which was strange with how sudden it popped out of the blue. “What the-?”
The moment that he twisted the door handle, he felt the force of the door knock him to the floor. As the adept looked up, he found himself staring directly at Katy. Something that he didn’t think was possible because the last time he checked on her, she was still in a coma. “K-katy? What are you-?”
“We need to talk,” she told him up front, closing the door behind her as Lance was slowly getting up off the floor.
“T-talk?” the puzzled adept then asked, “A-about wha-?”
“Don’t go there,” Katy quickly interjected, “Saffron brought me up to speed on a few things and told me that you haven’t been yourself,” she then took a coat that was hanging on the back of the door and put it on before she sat on the bed, “What’s the matter?”
“It’s…” Lance sighed as he looked back at Katy and sat next to her, “It’s a lot to explain.”
“I got time. Let’s hear it.”
Not missing a beat, the azure striker let out a sigh as he looked back at Lance, “Ever since what happened, I’ve been feeling rather… uncertain of myself. I mean, I’m supposed to be a hero and save those who are in danger, yet I was unable to protect those who were close to me and save Noah from himself,” he paused for a moment, trying to regain his composure and think of the right words to say, “I’m… unsure if I have what it takes to still be a hero. And I…”
For a little while, he didn’t say anything. Which made Katy think that he was trying to hide something from her, “And what? Lance, I can’t read minds. I can only help you if you tell me what’s wrong.”
Just as soon as she said that, Katy got her answer, “I don’t want to have people that I see as family get hurt,” he told her, shortly before looking directly at her, “Especially those that I love and care for the most. I’m afraid of what might happen if I lost you and I don’t think I’ll ever be the same if I did.”
In Katy’s mind, she wasn’t sure what to say. Not only did the adept tell her that he was unsure about his capabilities as a hero, but that he was afraid of what might happen if he lost her. The scars of what had happened when Power Pony HQ was destroyed still lingered with him and affected his own judgement. Something that was definitely not good.
Yet, despite all of the negativity that he was sharing, Katy wanted to turn this around. And she thought of one way to do just that. “You know what I think?”
“Wha-”
Before Lance could possibly react, Katy reached over and kissed him on the lips. Which was enough to shut him up for a brief moment as she continued to speak. “I think you’re putting too much pressure on yourself. Yes, you are a hero, but you’re not a one man army. No one is asking for you to put so much weight on your shoulders. You have a team who are willing to fight by your side. Not because you told them too, but because they believe they’re doing what’s right.”
Katy then shifted on the bed to face him, before continuing where she left off, “Though, I think you need more than just a team. I think you need someone to back you up. To be there for you. You know, like a partner.”
“Is… that a proposal?” he then asked, raising an eyebrow.
“More like a necessary suggestion,” Katy giggled, as she placed a hand on his shoulder, “No matter what we’re up against, we’ll face it together, alright?”
“Together,” Lance repeated to himself. It looked as if the sad demeanor that he had earlier was beginning to lift now as he looked back at her, “I… like the sound of that. Thanks for that, Katy… I really needed that.”
“You’re welcome,” she replied, “I mean, we’ve been a couple for who knows how long. Even after that jackass changed my body and… well, this, nothing’s torn us apart yet. Whatever we face, we’ll do it together.”
This time now, the azure striker closed his eyes and let out a chuckled. “Funny you mention that. There was something I really wanted to ask you, now that you brought that up.”
“Oh?” the blonde girl asked, “What is it?”
“About us being a couple,” Lance then clarified for her, “Did you… want to be more than that?”
“Lance, you’ve been down in the dumps for some time. It doesn’t sound like you to be trying to play pranks on me now.”
“Actually, this isn’t a prank,” he shook his head, before pointing to one of the outer pockets of the jacket that she was wearing, “There’s something in there for you. Something I think you wanted to see for a long time.”
At first, Katy wasn’t sure what to make of this. Though, as she placed her hand on the pocket, she felt it grab hold of something. A small navy colored box that he slowly pulled out. “No… T-this has to be a joke,” she said to herself, before carefully lifting the lid. Inside was a golden ring with a dazzling azure colored gemstone in the center. Shock and disbelief came first, before joy and happiness took over.
Just as her partner was about to speak, “Katy… will you-?”
“YEESSSSSSS!!!!!” She shouted, before immediately leaping onto Lance and pulling him in for a hug. The force of the jump almost knocked him flat on the floor as tears of joy began to shed down her face, “I-I can’t believe it. A-After being together for so long, you finally proposed.”
“Well,” he smiled, before kissing his future wife on the lips, “You did say that I needed a partner,” As he said that, the adept then thought of something else as he looked back towards Katy. An idea had formed in his mind, yet, he wanted to run it by Katy to see what she thought of it first, “Though, since we are doing this, there is something I wanted to ask you.”
“What is it?” Katy now asked as she tilted her head in curiosity.
“Well, just thought of something that could make this truly special… and not just for us,” he reassured her, “Though, we’re probably going to need some help. If you’re up for it.”
In the time after Nova had destroyed their home, the Power Ponies were finding it difficult to readjust after the destruction of their old headquarters. Even though the public and officials from the Mayor’s office approved a plan to build a new HQ for them, that was going to take a lot of time. Luckily, Humdrum’s quick thinking to extract Iris and their entire database out of the mainframe before it was destroyed didn’t mean that the group had to start completely from scratch. Though, the only part that remained was trying to find a temporary base of operations to call home.
At first, some of the Power Ponies thought that they could just easily ‘move in’ with another team. However, that itself had some setbacks. The main one being that it was too far away from Maretropolis and that it would take longer for them to respond during a crucial emergency. That and Radiance pointed out to the rest of her team that just randomly showing up on the doorstep of another hero team and asking to stay out of the blue would just be unprofessional. They had also considered staying at a motel room or some other empty place in the city, but those options would only end up drawing more attention to themselves.
Fortunately for them, they did happen to find something that not only worked out for them, but also wasn’t too far away from the city. The idea was originally suggested by Mistress Marevelous, who said that they should set up shop inside her family’s barn at Sweet Apple Acres. Since most of her family was away and Granny Smith was already on her annual trip in Las Pegasus when Babel Tower happened, they mostly had the barn to themselves.
At first glance, most of her team was a bit unsure if the farmstead that she was raised on was the most ideal place for them to temporarily reside in. Yet, they soon began to realize that there was more to the barn than meets the eye. On the surface, and to visitors of Sweet Apple Acres, the barn was nothing more than a place where the apples were sorted after getting them off the trees and where everything was prepared before going to market. Though, behind closed doors, the barn was a personal workshop and hideout for one of Equestria’s oldest heroes. The first Mistress Marevelous.
For you see, Mistress Marevelous was more than just the name of a hero. It was a title that was passed down to different bearers. Her grandmother, Granny Smith, was the first one to bare the mantle during the golden age of heroes back in her youth. Though, despite her best efforts to try and hide this from her granddaughter, Applejack eventually discovered it when her grandmother was visiting her friends. After learning of her grandmother’s heroics during the golden age, as well as what led to the downfall of heroes during the silver age several years ago, Applejack took it upon herself to bare the responsibilities that came with the title of Mistress Marevelous. After all, when her friends formed their team, she was the one that suggested that they would be called the Power Ponies.
Back in the present, she and her friends were finding a way to utilize what was in the barn to help the team get back on their hooves. Humdrum was able to get their database back up and running with some assistance from Copen, while most of the team would rotate who would go out on patrol and who would stay at the barn. This was to make sure that, if the possibility of a villain finding them did occur, then they would be able to push them back and not let those villains kick them while they were down.
At the moment, the only ones that stood by at their makeshift headquarters were Humdrum and Masked Matterhorn. With the rest of the team out on patrol and helping the police, it was up to the alicorn and the sidekick to make sure that everything that they happened to have was in working order. “Hey, Twilight? I’m going to go get something from the kitchen. I’ll be back in a minute.”
The alicorn nodded as the sidekick went back inside. Though, moments after he shut the door, she began to hear his communicator go off. Quickly, she levitated the device over to her and answered it. In her mind, she thought that one of their teammates was making an emergency call and needed backup. “Hello? This is Masked Matterhorn, speaking-”
“Twilight?”
The voice had her train of thought stop for but a brief moment. It only had been two days or so, but it felt like longer since she last heard the voice of the adept that was in charge of QUILL. After Babel Tower, some of QUILL’s members chose to pitch in more to help out. However, there were no sightings of Gunvolt anywhere.
“Lance? Is… everything okay?” she asked, “Don’t get me wrong, but last I heard from Vixen and the others, you weren’t exactly… doing so well.”
“Yeah, I know. Though, I’m slowly coming back around. Katy’s awake and… well, she’s helping me out with processing everything that had happened and it might be awhile before I’m back in the field,” the adept told her, “Though, that’s actually not the reason why I called.”
“Oh?” Masked Matterhorn replied back, “What exactly would that be then?”
“It’s about Aurora, actually,” he explained, “I wanted to do something special for her. To really show that I care for her, even after everything that’s happened. I had an idea, but I wanted to run it by you to see if it was… well, possible.”
As the hero was speaking, Twilight couldn’t help but find herself puzzled by his words as Humdrum was coming back from the kitchen. At that, the alicorn placed the call on speaker and set it down on the bench, “Hold on. What exactly do you mean by ‘if it was possible’? You’re confusing me here.”
The adept only let out a small breath as he composed his thoughts. After a minute or two, Gunvolt had a response for her, “Well, let me tell you what I was thinking about first. I think you might like what I had in mind.”
Few Months Later
As the cold winds blew and the soft snow began to sprinkle from the clouds above, Maretropolis and its citizens were filled with holiday cheer. Many creatures were able to spend time with their families and loved ones this time of year. Whether it was throwing snowballs at one another or gathering around a warm fireplace and sharing tales about the first Hearth's Warming, the holiday spirit was everywhere you looked. Whether it was a young child who still believed in Santa Hooves or a family celebrating their first holiday together, there was joy everywhere you looked as Hearth’s Warming got closer with each passing day.
The same could be said for the heroes that were a part of QUILL. Though, when it came to having their headquarters decorated, the adept that was their leader was at a loss for words, “Uh, Bumblesweet?”
Lance and Katy had only been gone for a short while to finish up their holiday shopping and make sure they got presents for everyone on their list. Before they left, the azure striker agreed to let Bumblesweet be in charge of decorations. Mainly because, as they were informed, this was her first Hearth’s Warming. So, Lance thought that by letting her decorate the base, it would be her way of making this holiday season memorable.
Though, as the two of them came back, both of them quickly began to realize that letting Bumblesweet be in charge of something was not exactly the best idea. For one thing, almost every few inches of the base's exterior was covered in christmas lights. Even with the snow that covered the building, they were clearly visible. If somepony had turned the lights on, it would more than likely drain the electricity from the city.
Inside their HQ was no different. There wasn’t a place where you could look that had nothing hanging on the walls or laid out across the floor. Floor rugs that were in the shape of reindeer, tinsel over almost everything and mistletoe over the door to his room was just scratching the surface. The biggest thing that caught their attention was a giant tree that was way too big for their command center to even accommodate for.
“I know the saying is ‘go big or go home’,” Katy commented as she looked back at Lance, “But this seems a bit ridiculous.”
“That would be an understatement.” the two of them now heard a voice speak up from the couch as Lance was about to go put away their holiday shopping. Much to the surprise of both of them, they found Saffron underneath a hearth’s warming blanket that was covered in numerous decorations, including garland, stockings and even a holiday wreath.
“Saffron? Are you… doing alright?” the azure striker asked. Normally, Saffron was a pony that was full of energy. There never was a time that he could recall her being this exhausted at all for any reason.
“I’m… managing,” the unicorn replied back, “Though, letting Bumblesweet be in charge of this? Not exactly the best idea.”
“Uhm… if I may ask,” Katy now asked as she got some of the decorations that were on top of their teammate and set them on the coffee table, “What happened that led to… all of this, exactly?”
The unicorn let out a small sigh as she looked back at the two of them, “Well, for starters, Bumblesweet had Sparkler and Aurora do almost all of the decorations inside while she had her swarm do the lights. Sparkler brought back a couple boxes of decorations that her parents weren’t using and we were going to use a couple things, but Bumblesweet was insistent that we use everything in the box.”
“That doesn’t sound too bad,” Lance replied, a bit puzzled by what she said as he looked back at the giant tree, “But how did we get from that to-?”
“When it came time to do the tree, Bumblesweet insisted that we don’t get our tree from a store or tree lot,” Saffron continued, “So, she had me trek out with her into the forest that’s north of the city to find the right tree, while it was still snowing. Also, since she forgot to bring a saw or anything to help cut it down, Bumblesweet had me use my powers to uproot the tree from the ground and carry it all the way back here. Even had the nerve to ask me to help get it cleaned up after I collapsed on the couch.”
“Yeah, there it is.”
“Um, isn’t that forest you mentioned supposed to be a national park?” Katy now asked.
The question just had the unicorn groan in her place, “Honestly, I’m too sore to even think about that right now-”
“Oh, come on now! Where’s that holiday cheer!?” The three of them now heard from the other side of the room, which had Saffron groan as she covered herself with the blanket. Bumblesweet was prancing around the tree now, wearing a holiday sweater with an elf hat and a necklace that looked to have been made of spare light bulbs that were not outside. It also looked like she tried to have her bees wear festive attire as well, though their garments were too big for them and ended up lying on the floor.
“Uh, Bumble?” Lance now took a turn to speak as he looked back at the cheerful earth pony, “I know that you’re really excited for Hearth’s Warming. Though, are you sure that you’re not… well, overdoing anything?”
“My parents didn’t celebrate Hearth’s Warming when I was a filly, so I’m determined to make this the best. One. Ever!” Bumblesweet gleefully surmised with Hearth’s Warming cheer, smiling at both of the adepts as her christmas light necklace was blinking and changing colors.
“Well, she’s determined. I’ll give her that,” Katy remarked as she looked back at Lance, “You think it would be better if we just left her alone?”
“I don’t really think that would be a good idea,” The Azure Striker told her, “I mean, I know she wants to celebrate. Yet, I have a bad feeling that this may draw unwanted attention.”
“Come on, Lance. It doesn't seem like too big of a deal to worry about,” Katy replied, “I think Bumblesweet has everything under control. I mean, nothing seems to be broken or anything.”
“Except for me…” Saffron grumbled.
The fellow adept just looked back at the unicorn, a smile still present on her face as she tried to reassure her teammates, “If she wants to make this holiday memorable, then the least that we could do is help out right?”
She did make a valid point, Lance had to admit. Yet, when he thought about celebrating for the holidays, he didn’t think about anything over the top like this. Especially with a tree that was too tall and made him think that it was something out of ‘How the Grinch stole Christmas’. Though, if his team wanted to make this a celebration to remember, then who was he to say no?
Of course, it was as he turned back around towards Bumblesweet that he saw something shift in the tree. Before the adept could say anything, a squirrel leaped out of the tree and clung to the earth pony’s back. Something that made Bumblesweet lose all sense of composure instantly, “GAH!! Get it off!! Get it off!! BURN THIS CRITTER IN FIRE!!!”
“… You were saying?” Saffron now asked Katy, as she rested her head on the couch.
“Wait! Don’t, it’s still on me!! Get it off, then BURN IT!!”
Lance could only watch as Bumblesweet and Katy desperately tried to get rid of the critter that tagged along for the ride inside the tree. Hopefully, Hearth’s Warming was not going to be as hectic as the days leading up to it.
Twas the night before Hearth's Warming as the snow fell down from the sky. Not a creature was buzzing around, not even a fly. The decorations in the home of QUILL were prepped with care, in hope that Santa Hooves would soon be there. It’s heroes were either with family or asleep in bed… all except for one that was waiting instead.
For it was their first Hearth’s Warming and they anticipated in glee, for Santa Hooves to approach their special tree. Young Bumblesweet was waiting by the tree with her hearth’s warming cap, ignoring the temptation to take a long winter's nap. For any second the jolly saint will be here, with a sack of gifts full of Hearth’s Warming cheer. She quietly listened as she looked towards the roof, anticipating the sounds of a sleigh and a hoof.
Unfortunately for Young Bumblesweet, rest was not so easy to ignore. For she eventually closed her eyes and rested her head against the floor. As the earth pony began to sleep and curl up into a ball, a faint noise could be heard from down the hall. It started off quietly as the opening of a door, before a figure closed it and walked towards the holiday decor. They were careful to make sure they didn’t cause any noise with their steps, so they would not disturb anyone inside that slept.
At first, it looked as if they were headed towards the kitchen, only to stop and notice young Bumblesweet’s slumbering position. They couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight, for the earth pony’s dedication was definitely present on this night. Though, the cold floor wasn’t an ideal place for her to rest. The nearby couch would be more ideal, they guessed. So, taking it upon themselves to comfort Bumblesweet, the figure placed her on the nearby sofa and wrapped a warm blanket for heat.
Yet, that was not all that the kind figure did for her. For they took it upon themselves to go a bit further. Quietly, they fashioned what looked to be a scroll, rolled up and held together with crimson ribbon that had trimmings of gold. Carefully, they slipped the scroll next to Young Bumblesweet’s head, being cautiously quiet to not rouse her from the makeshift bed. No soon after did they quietly flee, but not without a drink of milk and taking some cookies.
As the figure slipped away and out of sight, one would say ‘Happy Hearth’s Warming to all, and to all a good night!’
When the sun shined through the clouds and morning finally came, QUILL’s HQ was lively with holiday cheer. Everyone was up bright and early thanks to Bumblesweet, who was beyond excited after waking up to find that there was what she described as a letter from Santa Hooves waiting for her as she woke up. This letter had kickstarted Hearth’s Warming for her, and she was more than eager to make sure that everyone else on the team was awake as well so that they could get breakfast and open up the gifts they had received. Even though Saffron and Sparkler were with their families, there were still enough gifts for everypony that was present.
Of course, there was also a holiday surprise that even Bumblesweet wasn’t aware of. That being that Lance had invited a surprise guest to join them today. Since Hearth’s Warming was a time of celebration among friends and family, the azure striker had invited Aya and her team to join them. He and Katy had gone all out in making sure that they got the best gifts for not just her, but also her teammates too.
Unfortunately though, out of everyone in MIST, only Aya was able to make it. The rest of her team had various reasons as to why they weren’t able to come. Yet, Bumblesweet was not going to simply take no for an answer. Especially when they went through the trouble of preparing gifts for everyone on their team. So, the earth pony took it upon herself to make sure that Aya would be able to bring home some of the gifts they had gotten.
Of course, there were a few others that didn’t quite fall into that category. When it came to gifts for MIST, Lance and Katy wanted to do more than just give them a gift and leave it at that. They wanted to offer their base as like a ‘second home’ for them to stay in. To that effort, they went through the trouble of setting up a game room for Firefly, preparing several flight courses for both her and Surprise, specialty china dishes for Glory, a spare stetson had for AJ 3 (Courtesy of Mistress Marevelous) and even got all the necessary supplies needed to set up a special greenhouse for Posey. Further renovations that they planned even included a library for Mist and also set up a firing range in the training hall in case Lance or Aya wanted to brush up on their marksmanship.
Though, for standalone gifts, the azure striker had prepared something special for his aunt. A necklace that was forged from spent bullet casings that Mist had provided for him. At first glance, it looked like an ordinary necklace. Though, when it was turned over, there was an engraving on the back of it. The engraving itself being something that Lance had learned in the weeks after Babel Tower as he was trying to adjust to everything that had happened.
When we have each other, we have everything.
Of course, even after he had given Aya the gifts for both her and her team, there was still one more present that he needed to give. This time though, it was for somepony very special. “Hey Aurora, can you come here?”
“One moment!” Aurora’s voice boomed through the speakers, before the little wandering soul emerged intangibly from the floor not a minute later. “Need something? Humdrum keeps sending me heaven’s angel jokes that are getting real old, so I’d like to get back to my revenge filled scheming.”
“Actually,” the adept said as he placed a manila envelope on the table, “Katy and I have a gift that’s somewhat special for you this year.”
“Really? What is it!? What is it!?” Aurora squealed excitedly, her spectral eyes literally sparkling from anticipation.
“Well,” he said, noticing that Katy had entered the room as she joined the two of them, “Katy and I had been planning this for a while and, after some help from Twilight, we can finally show you.” Afterwards, Lance placed a small box on the table for her and let the filly open it up for herself. It took a couple of moments to get through the packaging, but once it was opened, the filly was surprised with what she had received.
“Uh, Lance, I don’t know how to tell you this, but I lack a body to use that...”
At first, the Azure Striker just chuckled. The contents inside of the box resembled that of a SmartWatch that many would find at certain tech stores. However, this one in particular was actually rather special. “Actually, this one’s a bit different. It’s not something for you to wear, but as something for you to inhabit. Humdrum called it ‘The Borealis’ and it was something that he and Matterhorn specifically built for you.”
“Is it better than the last one?”
“Why don’t you give it a try and see?” he encouraged the filly, taking the watch out of the box and leaving it on the table for her to take control and interact with it. If he remembered what Humdrum had told him, then the Borealis was supposed to have a lot of similar features to the com bracer he used before. Yet, there were several different features that had it stand out from its counterpart. Though, he wanted to have Aurora find out for herself and not spoil the surprise for her.
As the girl was fiddling around with it, Katy soon approached Lance as she nudged him a bit. “When you told me that you wanted to do something special for Aurora, this was… not entirely what I was expecting.”
“Well, ever since I first met her, she’s always wanted to help me help others in need. Having her help me do so shouldn’t depend on whether or not she has a body,” the Azure Striker scratched the back of his head as he turned to face her and provide some context, “Before I met you, we used to ‘team up’ to where she was in my bracer while I was on missions. It worked, though, there were some… problems. It’s why I brought it up with Matterhorn and Humdrum when I first told them the idea.”
“To see if there was a way to fix it?”
“If anypony could do it, it would be them. Besides, they’ve been with Aurora before I found her. So they would know what would be best for her,” he assured her with a smile, before turning back towards Aurora at the table to go check on the filly, “So, what do you think Aurora?”
A series of thin, metallic cables with animated wires sticking out of each one extended half a foot in front on the new bracer, electricity crackling off of the ends. Something that startled the adept when he first saw it as he heard the joyful filly inside
“It’s so cool- oh my goodness, the speakers are leagues better than the last one!” Aurora squealed excitedly.
“I-I’m glad to hear that,” he replied back, caught off by the sight of the wires as his brain thought that Aurora ended up breaking it, “A-are those wires… a feature as well?”
“The tutorial I watched from Humdrum said they’re interface cables! If I know how to plug in, I can connect to anything with or even without a port!”
At that, Katy sounded intrigued as she came over to join Lance and Aurora, “Anything you say?” the girl asked, who looked around the room and spotted the television that was mounted on the wall, “So you can jack into the TV if you felt like it?”
The cables extended to the entertainment device, and inserted themselves into an HDMI slot. The TV booted up, and Aurora’s face took up the entire monitor.
“Hay yeah!” She exclaimed, grinning from ear to floppy ear.
“That’s so badass.” Katy smirked, giving Aurora a visible thumbs up as she looked back at Lance.
“That is definitely cool,” the azure striker told the filly with a smile, “I think Humdrum knew what exactly he was doing to get your seal of approval.”
“Yeah, and think of all the cool things that she could do out in the field,” his companion commented, “Like, if some villains had a secret base, Aurora can jack in and bypass all the security stuff without them noticing.”
That did sound promising, Lance had to admit. Though, he was unsure whether or not it would be wise to go out and do that now of all times considering what day it was. “Perhaps we can try that out tomorrow or another day?” he suggested, before looking back to Aurora, “It’ll give you time in order to test the ins and outs of the Borealis, while I can stretch my legs and get out in the field. What do you think, Aurora? Does that sound like a good idea?”
“That sounds great!” The little spirit practically squealed at the prospect of helping Lance fight crime once again.
“Glad to hear you’re on board with it,” the adept smiled back at Aurora, “It’ll be just like old times.”
After several months of planning and preparation, the fateful day had arrived. The venue had been chosen, the guests had been invited, and all the groundwork had been laid at the Maretropolis Celestial Chapel. Though, unlike most weddings that were held inside the cathedral, this one was a rather different experience for those who were in attendance. A private ceremony to celebrate two people coming together to show their love through marriage.
Though, most of those who were in attendance were not in the usual clothes that one would expect. Many of them were heroes that had recently arrived after a day of patrolling Maretropolis and did not have the time to change into proper attire. Though, some of the other people that happened to be there were all dressed and ready for the occasion. Or at least, most of them. “Hey, Lance, are you alright?”
The question from his best man had Lance break from his train of thought as he looked back at Cody, “Y-yeah, I’m just… nervous. That’s all.”
“There’s no need to be,” he heard his other best man, Hiro Hamada from Mane Hero 6, tell him, “You just have to relax. Be calm. Be yourself out there. Just like we practiced, remember? That’s not a hard thing to do.”
“Yeah, but this is a very big moment. The last thing I want to do is screw up somehow and make a mistake,” the adept told the both of them.
“Hiro’s right, Lance. You have nothing to worry about. Heck, you have Aya as the officiant of your wedding and everyone in the chapel are friends that you know. You got this,” Cody reassured him with a smile. Though, as his friend looked down at his left arm, he spotted a rather familiar smart watch on his wrist as he proceeded to remove it for him, “Though, let me hold onto this for you, just in case.”
“By Celestia, why are your hands so sweaty!? It feels so sticky!”
“Not… really sure how to answer that one, Aurora,” the best man told the filly in the watch, before patting Lance on the shoulder. “Just stay relaxed. You got this.”
With that, both Hiro and Cody made their way over towards the first row of seats as they joined some of the other heroes that were in attendance. This included the Power Ponies, Solaria, some of the members of Mane Hero 6 and a few close friends too. Lance could even recognize Vinyl’s marefriend Octavia in the small crowd as well. Some of MIST was also spread around too, with his aunt Aya waiting at the altar with him as the officiant.
Just as he thought that he was ready though, music began to play all around the chapel as the doors at the back of the cathedral swung open. At first, he saw both Saffron and Sparkler trot through the doors and move down the aisle for a small bit. Though, as they looked back to the doors, they were soon joined by Bumblesweet and the one that everyone had been waiting for.
When Lance saw the bride to be in her dress, it felt as if his heart had skipped a few beats. Katy was a sight to behold in her wedding dress as she walked down the aisle towards him. The dress was an elegant white in the front, but also light azure blue on the sides that blended in perfectly. She looked beyond beautiful, with her bouquet in hand and a smile of joy on her face. If Katy was trying to blow him off his feet, then she did just that.
As she arrived at the altar, both of them looked to one another briefly, before turning to face the officiant as the music began to silence itself and everyone was now seated.
Aya Brea, who was wearing a fine tailored suit, broke the short silence. “Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to celebrate the union of Lance Ryan Walker and Kaitlyn… uh…” Aya looked to the woman pleadingly, having most likely realized that she didn’t have a full name.
When the bride realized this, she looked toward Aya and whispered, “Kaitlyn L. Lehnsherr.”
“And Kaitlyn L. Lehnsherr in holy matrimony!” Aya continued, “Marriage is the promise between two people who love each other, and who trust in that love. Who honor each other as individuals, and who choose to spend the rest of their lives together.”
As Aya spoke those words, Lance and Katy turned to face each other while she continued to speak.
“This ceremony will not create a relationship that does not already exist between you. It is a symbol of how far you have come these past few years. It is a symbol of the promises you will make each other to continue growing stronger as individuals and as partners. No matter what challenges you now face, you face them together, and no matter how much you succeed, you now succeed together. The love between you joins you now as one.”
Yet, in an unexpected move, the officiant drew out the pistol that she kept in the holster that was around their waist and aimed it at the ceiling, “Now, if there's by some chance one of you bastards believe that these two should not be together, speak now or live to see tomorrow.”
The whole entire chapel was dead silent immediately afterwards. Yet, that was enough of an answer for Aya as she holstered her weapon and gave her nephew a fond smile. “Now, the Bride and Groom have a few words to share with you all.”
With that in mind, Katy took it upon herself to speak first, “I’m going to be honest… I never thought I’d be here. That I’d meet someone like you who would save me,” she paused to catch her breath for a brief moment, before she continued, “Yet, here we are. And no matter what may happen in our future to come, I will always be here for you. To protect, love and cherish you. With our crazy lives, I promise that I’ll never leave your side.”
Once she had finished, it was now Lance’s turn to speak, “And I promise to be there to love and cherish, through good times and bad. To be a positive example for not just family and friends, but others who would strive to become heroes like us. I promise to not let ourselves be divided, for as partners, we are stronger together. No matter what the future may hold, we will face it together.”
“Rings?” Brea asked, looking to the crowd. From behind where Cody was sitting, another figure got up. This figure, who Lance and Aya knew as Baynetta, was dressed in a white dress with a matching hat and carried the rings for both the bride and the groom as she arrived at the altar. Once they had been brought up, Lance took the ring that was meant for Katy and placed it on her left hand, next to her engagement ring. Shortly afterwards, Katy did the same thing and slipped the ring for the groom onto his left ring finger as Bayonetta returned to her seat.
Once the rings had been placed, the officiant began the final process. “Do you, Lance, take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife? Will you love her, comfort her, honor her, protect and provide for her? To have and to hold, from this day forth, in sickness and health, in prosperity and adversity. Forsaking all others, keep yourself only unto her, so long as you both shall live?”
“I do.” Lance nodded his head.
“And do you, Katy, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband? Will you-?”
“I do!” Katy interjected before Aya could finish, happy that this was finally happening and not wanting to wait any longer.
“W-well then, by the power invested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife,” Aya smiled as she looked back at the happy couple, “What are you waiting for? Kiss the bride already!”
Both the bride and groom looked towards each before they moved in and kissed each other directly on the lips, solidifying their union as everyone in the chapel congratulated them. As they cheered, Lance heard his newfound wife ask him a question, “You think we’re ready for what lies ahead?”
“Come on, we’re partners,” the adept said as both of them began to walk back towards the doors of the chapel, “What’s the worst that could happen?”
The End
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Will this story have Power Ponies OC villains in it?
10729938
You're going to need to be more specific with that question I'm afraid
This story ends the same way the first incredibles movie started...Godamnit Lance you had one job.
Lol, it's been a long ride and after years of waiting, Katy got married finally xD Took Frost long enough, but it's been one hellava journey. :) I had fun working with you my friend and hope to continue to work with you in the future :)
10732918
Agreed.
Is there romance in this?
10876496
Not right away, but it develops over the course of time. It's not a heavy focus though
So before I read, is there gonna be a bunch of displaced characters from other fanfics that I have no context for just thrown in? Or is it all ocs and non oc characters? I like the isekai part of displaced stories but not the whole weird throwing in chars from other fanfics thing. It jars me out of a story
10877526
That's... part of a Displaced story. And any chapters were a crossover does take place will be pointed out. Though, fair warning, some of the chapters are old and might need revising eventually
Do any of the female characters in Azure Striker Gunvolt throw any punches?