As I said before, there's no surer way to sabotage an operation then for the leader to oppose it.

Well done.

What a finale
i.imgur.com/RArHe.gif

A most impressive showing, especially Rodan and Sunset's full power and Mircalla's performance against Mizu.

Celestia's final line really made this whole thing worthwhile.

Yaaay! Mircalla got her redemption. And Sundan shipping now exists, I ship it.

Well that ending was unexpected.

Also I now know that whatever I wrote in Eternal Knight does not contradict what happened here

Awesome chapter.

This was an amazing work, Tarb. Evowizard's version of Sunset and your Rodan had great social chemistry and Mircalla was an amazing antagonist. Her decision to choose the good of her coven by backing down from the fanatics' plan and her interaction with Sunset was amazingly done. The fight with Mizu was also entertaining due to his reflective portal abilities, though e real show stealer was the amazing video Faith did that showed off how Sunset and Rodan's powers synergetically powered each other's. This was one great crossover and I thank you and Evowizard for it.

Well that's a surprising ending XD Nice job, never would have expected such a twist ending and I love how you portrayed Mircalla's

I ship Sundan, but I'm disappointed by Mizu's role and that there's no art of his appearance.

The story has ended... and what an ending it was...

You keep doing these side fics, and I keep loving them. Bravo. Hopefully we can revisit the mirror world, one day.

BEAUTIFUL ENDING

You've delivered yet another awesome finale. I had been anticipating that Rodan and Sunset taking on Mizu would be the finale, but it's understandable that you would want an ending to this story that would have more surprises to it.

I actually find myself a little surprised by how things ended. I would not have foreseen Sunset Shimmah forgiving Mircalla.

For me, Mircalla was my favorite character in this, I just found her to be the most interesting both visually and for character development. I thought her backstory was interesting, the niche she has carved out for herself and her coven vampires in the mountains. I only wish we could have gotten a visual for how she looked as Nightmare Mircalla. I will say however, that I do like the look we finally do get of her in the final art piece from the illustrious illustrator, Faith-Wolff.

I admit, to being a tad unable to follow exactly what was happening in the cave battle, I know Rodan was zooming around, and Sunset was making her own lava attacks, and there was just a lot going on. All that said, I did think it a good choice to have the battle narrowed in the confines of the cave, which I'm sure helped our heroes to not get too overwhelmed by the numbers game.

Um, I don't recall what I might have said previously about Rodan and Sunset Shimmah's dynamic, but right now, I'm just kinda, 'meh' on it. I don't think it's bad or uninteresting, but it was literally forced. This is just me, and I don't have anything bad to say about it, but I just wasn't feeling it like a few others apparently are. Just didn't have that natural chemistry to me.

I've read a few chapters of EvoWizard's stuff, and his 'verse sure seems like an interesting place. Lot of stuff is different.

But ahhh... Positives. I think it goes without saying that this was excellently composed, with Tarb's own unique phraseology as always. I do like how the narrative kept going back and forth between the characters, showing us how Mircalla comes to reject the mission and have her moment of redemption. Despite her being my favorite character in this, I would have been perfectly fine with her dying, at any of the several spots it could have happened. I'm certainly glad we finally got to see her in illustration.
Mizu finally does something, which always helps to further the plot. I like that there was a non-kaiju character that was able to stand-up to one of Bagan's aspects, even if they were powered by dark magics.

The ending, I thought was kinda sappy, but, I suppose a happy ending was the point here. Plenty of room for dark and dour tone elsewhere in Tarb's library. Plus, as a side adventure in someone else's headcanon, Tarb had to make sure to put things back where he found them, these were his friends toys after all.

For me, there were definite similar flavors of Rodan from Bridge chapter 35. A measure of the "guidance counselor" side of Rodan coming out for Sunset like it did for Rainbow Dash. I don't know... maybe he just comes off as 'too nice' sometimes for me? Not sure. I feel like he'd invite me into his office to 'rap' about what's bothering me, and why my grades are slipping.

Overall, I liked this side-story, I think it was an interesting excursion both for us and for Rodan. We got to spend some time with him that we probably wouldn't have otherwise, and we got to see an exhibition of the powers he can employ without going into Kaiju mode.

Oh boyo these responses! K, starting with the big guy first.

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I actually find myself a little surprised by how things ended. I would not have foreseen Sunset Shimmah forgiving Mircalla.

Yes I was trying to keep that a surprise because it required build up in the story on two fronts. One it required Mircalla regrowing her spine and having both the opportunity and bravery to do the right thing instead of just following orders on the easy route. The second was having Sunset's haughty facade and desire for revenge have enough holes poked into them it would seem believable that she would even hear Mircalla out to begin with. Evo and I thought it was a pretty important moment because it shows that for all the darker content and differences the Shimmer'verse has, it's still Equestria and the moral of good spreading over evil rings true.

For me, Mircalla was my favorite character in this, I just found her to be the most interesting both visually and for character development. I thought her backstory was interesting, the niche she has carved out for herself and her coven vampires in the mountains. I only wish we could have gotten a visual for how she looked as Nightmare Mircalla. I will say however, that I do like the look we finally do get of her in the final art piece from the illustrious illustrator, Faith-Wolff.

Mircalla is a character devised for this story by me and Evo, and I'd say she's the aspect I'm most proud of. Granted I will say it's less we devoted the most time to her and more we specially made her for this situation. Had it been another Shimmer'verse hero or kaiju other than Sunset Shimmer (who has a personal stake involving Mircalla) and Rodan (will detail later), she wouldn't have had such a role or probably come off as important. She's unique amongst a lot of villains in that she's been around long enough to realize her younger self made mistakes and she's trying to fix them, haunted by what she'd done in the past while trying to make better with the present. In addition since she follows literary Dracula vampire rules, it gave her a lot of unique powers to use not common in the setting.
You'll be happy to know Faithy intends to do several more pictures for this story, some of which I've already seen the sketches for and they do show Mircalla in both her original vampire and Nightmare forms.

Um, I don't recall what I might have said previously about Rodan and Sunset Shimmah's dynamic, but right now, I'm just kinda, 'meh' on it. I don't think it's bad or uninteresting, but it was literally forced. This is just me, and I don't have anything bad to say about it, but I just wasn't feeling it like a few others apparently are. Just didn't have that natural chemistry to me.

I think the key word here for Rodan and Sunset is "starting". Chronologically they only knew each other for about one day. With interactions like Applejack and Rodan, X and Aria, or Lea and Twilight we got multiple days/weeks and time-skips. Here we're seeing pretty much all the stuff the other team-ups skipped over. Reason it comes off as literally force is it was just starting and I knew I couldn't push anything too far.

Mizu finally does something, which always helps to further the plot. I like that there was a non-kaiju character that was able to stand-up to one of Bagan's aspects, even if they were powered by dark magics.

Yah I knew I had to do something with Mizu and I feel I did best I could with it. Once again showing a balanced crossover with an Equestrian character (albeit a extremely powerful one) able to stand up to it. Though like Enjin, Mizu isn't defeated in its first battle it's just inhibited. Technically Nightmare Mircalla didn't beat it, she just managed to hold it off and then found a clever way to inhibit it and get it out of the way to win by proxy via destroying Mizu's plan. This allows for both the Equestria side to get credit by standing up to one of Bagan's aspects, while also preserving Mizu's danger level because it's unclear who would have actually won in a drag out brawl.

For me, there were definite similar flavors of Rodan from Bridge chapter 35. A measure of the "guidance counselor" side of Rodan coming out for Sunset like it did for Rainbow Dash. I don't know... maybe he just comes off as 'too nice' sometimes for me? Not sure. I feel like he'd invite me into his office to 'rap' about what's bothering me, and why my grades are slipping.

If it helps, one thing to consider is this isn't the exact same Rodan we saw in the beginning of The Bridge. That one wasn't too sure of himself, was willing to help the Equestrians out but still was on-edge (staying up all night to watch for gyaos); and required advice from others (AJ, Thalia, RD, back on Terra Anguirus and Lea, etc.) to see things through. But since settling in he's gotten very well adjusted. He's come to like the ponies so much he basically sees them all as part of his flock by default, especially the Mane 6, Princesses, and associates. It was his admiration for Princess Celestia (via both her example and Thalia's story of the past) that convinced him to help Sunset no matter how irksome she was; probably on logic that something was up because no daughter of Tia could have been that bad. And once he broke through he was more than happy to act some more. As he said in previous chapters, he knows what a lasting grudge and revenge desire can do to someone (Junior) so he was trying to steer Sunset off that route. Rodan's not a particularly clever or wise individual, but that optimism that things can be improved is largely the reason he was picked for this crossover. Aside from maybe Lea, any other kaiju would have had a damn hard time being patient enough or hopeful enough to avert Princess Sunset's course of actions

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Thank you for responding Tarb, I hope there was nothing I said that came off as too salty. I really did enjoy SitD, and I honestly did not see the forgiveness ending coming. I really thought Mircalla would sacrifice herself/get killed for the climax.

By the way Tarb, you and Faith will be returning in the next Unforgiven chapter too.

Great work on this chapter and story in general.

i'm crossing my fingers that when Bagan goes on the offensive he appears in multiple realms with the kaiju having to split up to stop him. this would allow old friendships to be reignited as well as one hell of a finale crossover.

Aaaand Celestia now ships Pteragryphon with future Alicorn...xD

that hug the feeeeeellllllsssss

Was that a hint at another possible The Bridge/Shimmerverse crossover that I saw?

“... Soo, am I getting grandkids next time he comes back?”

LMAO

Love this story best music ever man boom

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Read the bridge chapter 35

I'm really hopeful for a sequel. And I'm curious about if Rodin meets the main Sunset Shimmer. Will he remember anything?

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Read the Birthday special

Something I wanted to share while it was on my mind.

The place I live is about a block away from a school football field & track, and the people there had been blasting music through the place's loudspeakers for several hours just now. Started while I was walking home from work, kept doing it while I was trying to take a nap, and lasted until a game was about to start a few minutes ago. What I'm trying to say is that at some point they played "Feel Invincible", and immediately I started thinking of that scene with Rodan and Sunset in this story.

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AMAZING. XD

I'm glad to see that Mircalla got a happy ending.

Three cheers for the three heroes: Rodan, Sunset, and Mircalla. What a way to end a war.