Emerald Gleaner: Retired Monster

by Legionary

Chapter 8: Technical Difficulties

Sophie glanced at her watch despite knowing the exact time of day at any given moment while she ascended floors via the stairs. An action one could call an anxious habit.

Currently the now Double Agent Cursor was in an apartment complex, specifically Emerald's apartment complex. Normally, even in disguise, Sophie wouldn't dare come too close to the building let alone enter in her base form. So why was she doing so right now? It was as she approached her intended floor that Sophie felt the vibration of her phone.

'Right, let's see...' Sophie thought as she pulled the device out from pocket and perused its alerts.

[Target has exfiltrated the structure], stated a text. [Attempting to follow at distance]

'Right. If Batman is who I think it is, this won't be a simple rescue,' Sophie thought. 'I should have plenty of time to work... should.'

Sophie hadn't missed out on watching the interview a short while ago, despite her hate of Emerald. Most people would have taken Emerald's quote of Bruce Wayne as just that, considering her history, but Sophie wasn't most people. She saw a connection, a potential trail onto something greater and took hold of it with a passion. Using another advantage that was only recently proven to be such, Sophie had also impersonated a gang leader and had the girl who Twilight looked like kidnapped.

Of course this was all clearly taking several gambles in a row and hoping they all paid off. There was no proof that Emerald's quote was anything more then just that. There was no proof that Emerald cared for the girl whom Twilight looked like. With these two uncertainties combined, there was no promise she wouldn't walk face first into Emerald at any moment in the apartment complex. Ultimately, the question was this: was Sophie flying by the seat of her pants?

'Sometimes you just need to take a chance make a gamble,' Sophie thought simply with a shake of her head. 'They don't pay off often, but when they do... hmph. And it's not like the whole goddamn wait and see stuff with Trisha and Jacob is paying off. All it's doing is making me doubt my own people. Trisha is too much of a goddamn bleeding heart busybody to properly do her job. It's just all up to me. Figures...'

Sophie reached her intended floor and walked down the hall towards a specific apartment. She came to a stop before the door and rolled her shoulders around for a moment, then she reached out and knocked firmly on the door. After a few moments the door opened a crack and the person on the other side opened the door a crack with the security chain on.

“Hello?” Twilight said before she gasped and her eyes went wide in recognition. “Oh... what do you want?”

“I just want to talk,” Sophie said as neutrally as she could. “Can I come in?”

“I'm not sure I like the idea of someone who attacked the one I love being so close,” Twilight replied with narrowed eyes. “In fact, just having you on the other side of the door is still too close for comfort.”

“...” Sophie clamped down on her initial reaction to lash out angrily and quickly thought of means of talking her way into the apartment. Quickly going through what Trisha told her about Twilight, she rapidly put together a small plan.

“Did... Emerald tell you why I don't like her?” Sophie asked calmly.

“...She said that she had killed your sister...” Twilight said and a lot of her guarded expression softened.

“Did she tell you how it happened?” Sophie said, sensing an opening, and when Twilight reluctantly shook her head she continued. “She ate my sister. My pregnant sister. The act was recorded by another Cursor called Roland and the video was later shown to me. I had no choice but to sit there watching a video of my own sister being horribly murdered.”

A look of utter horror crossed Twilight's features for a moment before it slowly was replaced by one of grief as she clenched a hand over her heart.

“So yeah,” Sophie said and crossed her arms victoriously. “I think I had reason enough to attack her when she finally showed up again.”

“Look, I can fully understand your hate and anger,” Twilight said gently but with a firm look in her eyes. “And because of that I am willing to put what you did before behind us, but I will not tolerate any further attacks on Emerald.”

“... Alright.” Sophie said, shoving down her broiling rage at the thought she didn't have all the right in the word to savage Emerald for her crimes against her. “May I come in now? Like I said, I just want to talk.”

“Very well,” Twilight said and briefly closed the door to undo the security chain. “I'll hear what you have to say.”

“I won't take too long,” Sophie said, taking out her phone as she entered the apartment.

“I hope not,” Twilight said as she glanced at the clock. “It's getting late, Emerald usually comes home to at least check on us if she is going to be out all night. I'm not sure what she would think of you being in the apartment.”

“Indeed,” Sophie simply said and fought down the twitching desire to remain a while to force a confrontation.

“So what did you want to talk about?” Twilight asked as she and Sophie sat at the table, the TV in the living room playing in the background.

“What did Emerald tell you about her life before the first outbreak?” Sophie asked, tapping through screens on her phone.

“We did go over that part of her life a little,” Twilight said. “Though I am far more aware of everything that happened afterwards.”

“Okay.” Sophie nodded simply before turning her phone over and holding it out towards Twilight.

Twilight took the phone and looked at the image on the screen. She frowned and was about to ask why Sophie was showing her a picture of herself when she stopped at noticing several details about the picture. The hair was all black instead of purplish blue with streaks of pink and purple. She had never once worn the hoodie in the picture and the woman she appeared to be standing beside she had never seen before. And just looking at the background of the picture, she didn't even recognize the location the picture was taken.

“Her name is Tabitha Lensington,” Sophie said. “She was a girl Emerald had a rather large crush on before the first outbreak, and if what I heard was correct, the feeling was mutual at the time.”

“...Okay.” Twilight nodded and returned the phone to Sophie. “But why show me this picture? What's the point?”

“I find it interesting that the two of you look so alike one another,” Sophie said neutrally as she pocketed her phone. “Makes me wonder if the biggest, maybe only, reason Emerald likes you is the visual reminder of better, happier times.”

Twilight was about to verbally disregard such thoughts as ridiculous, since when she and Emerald started dating she was a pony at the time, when a realization struck her. Emerald had never been as physically affectionate now as she was back in Equestria. She was still affectionate of course. They hugged, they kissed and they cuddled together in bed as they went to sleep. But the kisses Emerald was prone to giving her now, the ones in the past just couldn't compare. Even the hugs had a feeling of passion to them and a reluctance to them whenever they parted. And that wasn't even getting into the fact they were having sex now, something Emerald hadn't even hinted at wanting to experience with her before. While Twilight could have simply explained it before as waiting for marriage, her experience with current human culture showed her that Emerald simply did not desire such contact with her at the time. So what had changed to cause large steps in affection? It could have only been the fact she was human now and not a pony since the change in behaviour wasn't gradual in the very least.

“I think I'll take my leave now,” Sophie said and got up, taking the expression of troubled deep thought on Twilight's face as a victory. “Wouldn't want to overstay my welcome, after all.”

Twilight barely acknowledged Sophie's leave, her thoughts bustling with the idea that Emerald was only truly attracted to the form she was in and not the one she was born in. But after the front door closed behind Sophie, Sunset Shimmer sat up on the couch where she had been laying down. She frowned towards the door before turning towards Twilight.

“You don't believe any of that, do you?” Sunset asked.

“Well...” Twilight began, wringing her hands nervously. “She does have a few points.”

“Seriously?” Sunset arched a brow in incredulity.

“Well… I mean, Emerald and I...” Twilight said. “It's only recently we started... s-started having seeeee... look, you're right, there is nothing to be concerned about. There is no point in making an issue out of whatever she's said. It's not a problem, not a problem at all.”

“...No, it definitely is now,” Sunset said with a shake of her head. “It obviously bugs you. Just talk to Emerald when she gets here and get everything sorted out.”

“I will not,” Twilight said firmly, crossing her arms and looking away from Sunset. “It's not a problem. No use in making a mountain out of a molehill.”

“Ugh,” Sunset threw her arms up in the air before getting up. “Where is that damn phone?”

Outside the apartment, Sophie began rapidly making her way down the stairwell and turning into a random person for some safety. It may have seemed like a bit of a waste to use the opportunity to have Emerald's loved ones alone just to cause some domestic strife and yes, it probably was. However, while Sophie was willing to do a lot to cause Emerald harm, she was less willing to lower herself to the level of her enemy.

'So am I just flying by the seat of my pants?' Sophie thought. 'Pretty much, but better to use any opportunity to stir shit up than to let it pass you by. Besides, you never know what can happen and I'm sick of waiting this out.'

Sophie felt her phone vibrate and pulled it out. She looked at the message that was sent to her and smirked when she saw Emerald and her old crush sitting together on a rooftop, talking.

ALPHA

“It was kinda lucky. I was famous enough for people who bothered to look me up to find out about my history,” Tabitha said, sitting before the ledge of the building with her arms wrapped around her knees. “But not enough for most of them to care. The only problem was that most people who wanted to get to know me were only doing so because they thought I knew a lot about you before it all kicked off. As if I kept some kind of secret to myself from the media and government when they questioned me.”

“We didn't even know each other's names at the time,” Emerald said with a shake of his head. The virus felt his phone going off and vibrating, before he quickly pressed the mute button and continued. “Umm... sorry to interrupt but do you mind if I ask you something?”

“Shoot,” Tabitha said with a curious look towards Emerald.

“This probably sounds a bit weird, but do you mind if I switch back to my normal body,” he asked, motioning down to his old male form he was currently using. “This... it just doesn't feel normal for me anymore.”

“Heh. Go ahead, I don't mind,” Tabitha said with an encouraging smile.

“Thanks,” Emerald said, and with a surge of black tendrils she was back to what she considered normal.

“I never get tired of seeing that,” Tabitha said, her eyes glittering with curiosity. “It's such a fascinating sight to watch. How does that feel?”

“Hard to explain,” Emerald said and held up a hand, which shifted rapidly between a number of forms from various species she had sampled. “My whole body is like one large muscle that can flex and extend itself in any way it sees fit. It just feels like movement to me, about as normal as getting up and walking for you.”

“Wow,” Tabitha smiled before tilting her head in interest. “So I saw that interview. Sounds like you managed to get yourself cleaned up pretty well.”

“I like to think so,” Emerald replied. “The outbreaks were hell even on the side I was on.”

“Especially on the side you were on,” Tabitha said. “I was lucky. I was visiting my Aunt Crystal at the time of the first outbreak.”

“Your parents?”

“Were taking the day out on the town along with my brother,” Tabitha said before sighing and leaving a long pause. “...On Manhattan.”

“I'm sorry...” Emerald said and shifted in place uneasily.

“Don't be. You didn't kill them, after all,” Tabitha said and stared off into the moonlit sky. “They were celebrating his acceptance into West Point and were going to take him to my aunt's place for all of us to celebrate together when it all happened... I can hear your guilty conscious from here. Stop that.”

“I...” Emerald began and slouched forward as she crossed her legs.

“Look, if anything, I should feel sorry for you,” Tabitha said and reached over to place a hand on Emerald's shoulder. “At least I still had someone to look out for me. You lost the only family that mattered and had only yourself.”

“But-”

“Right, right, it doesn't excuse anything,” Tabitha quoted and grinned at Emerald when she scowled in annoyance at her.

“Fine. I don't want to go through all that again, anyway,” Emerald huffed before asking. “Who exactly is your Aunt Crystal, anyway? She isn't actually your aunt, is she?”

“No, but she's been in my life for the longest time,” Tabitha answered before tilting her head at Emerald. “How did you know?”

“Just a lucky guess,” Emerald replied, thoughts of a certain princess in her mind. “So still living in the NYZ, huh?”

“Not for much longer,” Tabitha said with a shake of her head. “We were finally OK’ed for leaving the quarantine. We got a new place right next door to my Aunt Celina in a nice, small town far from here. A nice, safe and boring town. I honestly can't wait.”

“You never know the value of peace and quiet until it's gone,” Emerald said. “I hope it's a lasting peace and quiet for you.”

“Well, what about you?” Tabitha asked.

“Me?” Emerald said and sighed as she surveyed the city before her. “I guess I - and those I care about - will be here...”

“Well look on the bright side. At least you won't be alone this time!” Tabitha said encouragingly before getting a sly smile. “And speaking of which, I can't help but notice a certain someone resembles me quite strongly.”

“Eh heh... w-well yeah...” Emerald said, actually flushing as she briefly looked away from Tabitha sheepishly. “Just so you know, the whole appearance thing honestly didn't factor into us getting together at the time... u-uh, that was meant as reassurance. Not saying you don't look... ugh...”

“Hehehe!” Tabitha giggled.

“If I was getting your coffee for you, I'd have poured some milk in it,” Emerald said with an expression that was some odd mix of a scowl and pout.

“You wouldn't dare!” Tabitha gasped. “You know what that does to me!”

“I sure do.” Emerald smirked. “I never made that mistake again, but I'll never forget it afterwards.”

“You're lucky I came back at all!” Tabitha retorted. “I was so embarrassed! If you weren't cute and polite I wouldn't have dared showed my face again after that!”

Emerald very pointedly blew a raspberry at Tabitha who covered her face with her hands to hide a burning flush. After a few moments of silence the two broke into a bout of easy, friendly laughter. They stared off into the night sky for a few moments more before Tabitha broke the quiet.

“So what's she like?”

“Kind, intelligent, willing to face a challenge no matter how large, though she can put her trust in some questionable people at times,” Emerald replied easily before smiling widely. “Her eyes are pretty, too.”

“I have to admit she definitely has it up there in the looks apartment,” Tabitha said with a sly grin. “Look at you, already a family of your own after everything while I'm still getting lost on the internet, mooning after fictional characters.”

“I'm sure after you move to your Aunt Celina's neighbourhood you'll find your share of people to let into your heart,” Emerald stated earnestly, meeting Tabitha's surprised gaze with her own eyes full of certainty. “Believe that there are people out there who you would easily think of as family in all but blood and someone you'd trust your heart and your life to. It hurts so much when you stumble in the search, but the results cannot be denied.”

“Wow,” Tabitha said softly. “Never thought I'd hear something like that from you of all people.”

“A few years ago I would have thought the same of someone like me,” Emerald said. “Goes to show that people can actually change despite everything.”

“...I feel like I could stay here all night just talking to you, but…” Tabitha said with a distinctly disappointed tone to her voice.

“I know.” Emerald nodded and stood up. “We both have our own families to get to and I was specifically asked to bring you to yours.”

Tabitha nodded and wrapped her arms around Emerald's neck when the Evolved picked her up in a bridal carry and was soon leaping rooftops as they made way. Unlike Twilight, Tabitha was less inclined to shout in fear thanks to the mode of transportation, but then she also had her face buried in Emerald's shoulder.

“You know this doesn't have to be goodbye,” Tabitha said between leaps “I wouldn't mind keeping in touch and even meeting her. What's your Skype?”

“...” Emerald waited until a leap or two to answer. “I don't have Skype, but... there will likely be a point in the near future where the others and I... where we will drop off the face of the Earth with no warning.”

“I... I understand.” Tabitha said, and she did too. It was clear that Emerald was putting forth a lot of trust to even give the implication that a high exposure person like herself would make an escape from the NYZ. She couldn't blame Emerald, either. The NYZ wasn't exactly the best place to raise a family happily. But it also didn't change the fact a lot of people would get up in arms about her disappearing...

“That isn't to say...” Emerald paused a moment in her leaping. “That isn't to say we can't talk. I'll get a Skype account. It isn't meeting in person, but I could introduce you to Twilight with video chat.”

“I'd enjoy that,” Tabitha said with a smile before they were moving again.

It wasn't long before the two of them arrived in an alley connecting to the street Tabitha's home was on.

“You'll remember my Skype?” Tabitha asked.

“I'll never forget it,” Emerald answered, tapping her temple for emphasis.

“Right,” Tabitha nodded before smiling. “I never thought we'd meet again or that it would be like this, but it was nice. Thank you for saving me.”

“Anytime,” Emerald replied before pointing down the alleyway. “I think your aunt expected me a bit sooner than this. She must be worried.”

“Probably...” Tabitha looked down the alley before turning back. “I hope... wow.”

Tabitha looked around the alley before staring up towards the rooftops. Emerald was nowhere to be seen.

“You pulled off the look! You didn't need to impress me with the disappearing act!” Tabitha shouted to the air with a smile before laughing and taking off at a run towards her home.

Up above, hiding amongst the clouds, Emerald parted some of the “ground” beneath her to make a peep hole at Tabitha getting back home safely. She smiled at the sight of Tabitha's aunt rushing out of her house and happily meeting Tabitha in the street with a hug. She stood up on the cloud and stretched out her limbs pointlessly.

'I feel... like I put another bit of my past behind me and tied up a loose end,' Emerald thought with a satisfied sigh. 'I feel good. Really good. Yeah... I think I can retire the whole cape and cowl hobby. Moment of truth is damn close and I have to do things like gather back up the Element of Magic and prep for trying to bust open the portal. Time to head home.'

With that, Emerald crept into a shadow and teleported away.

Mere minutes later found the virus going up the elevator in her apartment complex and arriving at her floor, walking down the hall and coming to her door. She grasped the knob for a moment to let the runic security array read her, then opened the door.

Emerald entered the apartment with a smile on her face, but when she got into the kitchen she literally could feel the tension in the air and her smile faded quite a bit. Looking around, she saw Sunset Shimmer with a sullen look in the living room watching TV, with Twilight watching as well but pointedly in the kitchen.

“Okay,” Emerald said, looking between the two of them. “What's going on now?”

“Sunset is trying to make a mountain out of a molehill, but I'm not allowing it,” Twilight answered with an almost haughty expression. “I've learned my lesson about such things.”

“Wha- but you- you jus- GRRR!” Sunset flustered out a response in incredulous anger before just outright growling in irritation.

“Well make sure not to go too far in the other direction and make an abyss out of a divot,” Emerald said to Twilight.

“I won't,” Twilight replied with nod and a determined expression.

“Right, I've had a really good day so I'm actually going to bed early for once,” Emerald said and stretched before heading down the hall to the bedroom. “So good night!”

“Night,” Twilight said and waited until she heard the bedroom door close behind Emerald before reaching out with her magic. While her magical skills were nowhere near back to where she had them back in Equestria, she could easily manage manipulating Emerald's runic network for their apartment. Accessing the noise muffling function of the network, she amplified it a little around the bedroom.

“I can't believe you are just going to try to ignore what happened earlier!” Sunset said, turning around in her seat to properly face Twilight. “I mean come on! It very clearly bothers you! You told me about how much that girl hates Emerald. You should have told Emerald about what happened.”

“No,” Twilight replied firmly. “I've learned my lesson about stuff like this. I'm not going to let it bother me.”

“But it does bother you,” Sunset pointed out but Twilight simply remained silent and pointedly kept her gaze on the television.

Sunset Shimmer huffed loudly for a moment before turning around. Honestly, Twilight and Emerald's relationship issues weren't any of her business, however Emerald was possibly their only real hope of getting back home and she didn't want anything petty to end up making them stuck in this world for another month before the next attempt. Thus, Sunset decided then and there she would give Twilight until some point tomorrow get everything cleared up until Sunset took things into her own hands and tell Emerald herself.

BETA

“This sentence is false! Don't think about it, don't think about it, don't think about it...”

“Ummm... true, I'll go true. Huh, that was easy. I'll be honest, I might have read that one before though, sort of cheating.”

“It's a PARADOX! There is no answer!”

Twilight sat beside Emerald as she played a game, one that - from what Twilight learned - Emerald had fully played through a few times before. While she was watching Emerald play, she was merely letting the game wash over her, her mind elsewhere at the moment and deeply so.

'There is more to a relationship than physical attraction,' Twilight thought to herself, crossing a leg. 'I mean, what we've had before was just as fulfilling if not as... intimate. We've kissed before and hugged one another and went to sleep in the same bed... though the kisses weren't as intense, the hugs not as close and the sleeping...'

Twilight's foot from her crossed leg began to bounce anxiously in the air as she continued her internal debate. While Twilight did honestly wish to not cause an issue with something she viewed as something petty, the problem was simply the fact Twilight really did have a problem with the fact Emerald wasn't nearly as attracted to the body she was born in as she was to the one she was currently in. Trying to suppress these feelings and reason with herself that it wasn't a problem wasn't helping at all. In fact it was causing her to become more and more emotionally charged.

'It's not a problem, not a problem at all,' Twilight thought with a deep breath to try to sooth the rising feelings of agitation. 'Like I said, there is more to a relationship than physical attraction and we have that. We have hobbies we enjoy doing together, we have the same friends, we honestly liked each other as friends so we have that as the foundation. So what if we've never been intimate with one another back then or the fact Emerald never even hinted at desire for such? We are perfectly fine. Completely fine! No issues at all!'

“Twilight,” Emerald said suddenly, making Twilight a jump a little in her seat.

“Yes Emerald?” Twilight asked after shaking her head clear.

“What's wrong?” Emerald said and paused her game to give Twilight her full attention.

“Whatever do you mean?” Twilight asked in a passable attempt to conceal her emotions outwardly... for a normal person, in any case.

“I can literally feel your anxiety in the air, Twilight,” Emerald replied. “Changeling senses. What's wrong? Is the argument between you and Sunset Shimmer really that bad?”

Before Twilight could give her reply in further attempt to conceal something she thought was petty, Sunset called out from the kitchen.

“That Sophie girl you mentioned came by yesterday,” Sunset said, getting a sharp look from Emerald and one of betrayal from Twilight. “She started talking about how you only like Twilight because she looks like some human girl you knew from before. Twilight's been trying to fool herself this entire time into thinking it isn't bugging her, but it very clearly is.”

“Sunset!” Twilight shouted in protest.

“I gave you all the chances in the world bring it up with Emerald yourself,” Sunset said and got up from the kitchen table. “Now you have no choice but to talk it over. I'm going to go see Jared now.”

There was a long, quiet moment that lasted shortly after the door closed behind Sunset Shimmer. Twilight spent it pointedly staring down at her feet before finally looking at Emerald to see the expression of sincere concern and worry on her face. Twilight felt a rush of guilt fill her stomach and got strong flashbacks to her utterly disastrous attempt to “save” Emerald. Unable to bear the anxiety filling her, she abruptly stood up from the couch and walked towards the kitchen.

“Twilight. Talk to me, please,” Emerald requested gently, following Twilight into the kitchen but not getting too close.

“I just... I didn't want to make a big deal about it!” Twilight replied with a tone of protest that clearly stated she wished this wasn't happening. “So what if I look like the human girl you liked before? So what if you only started to really kiss me after I became human? So what if you never held me before the way you do now?! So what if you never wanted to make love with me until I became human!?!”

“Twilight, please,” Emerald said and stepped closer, arms held out to embrace.

“Just wait!” Twilight half shouted, closing her eyes while rubbing cycles on her temples and facing away from Twilight. Emotions broiled chaotically within her and Twilight realized she had not only failed to utterly not make a big deal of the situation, but what she now knew really did bother her and no amount of objectively viewing the issues as petty made it any better. “Just give me a little space... I need to think...”

“Okay. No problem, Twilight,” came Emerald's calm reply.

“...Emerald wait.” Twilight said with a sigh, already feeling horrible. Even more so since she was now recalling how Cadance said it was important that couples communicate earnestly with one another and she was clearly failing that right now. “Sunset's right, we need to taaaaaal-...”

Mid-sentence, Twilight turned around in place to face Emerald properly only to find that she was utterly gone. Considering she hadn't heard footsteps or the opening of a door, it was clear Emerald had teleported away.

“ARRRRGHHH!” Twilight gave a shout of anger and dismay with herself before plopping down heavily on a chair and bringing her head down audibly onto the tabletop. After spending several moments wallowing in self loathing, she had the feeling of being watched wash over her. Looking up, she was met with the sight of Spike and Navi standing in the hall leading to the bedrooms.

“Fighting again, huh?” Spike asked, wrapping an arm around Navi's shoulders as the little girl looked on the verge of crying.

“No- Maybe- I don't know,” Twilight muttered with a sigh. “All I know is that I'm being stupid by trying to put this off. Emerald and I need to talk.”

“Well Emerald has always come back whenever she leaves,” Spike said while giving an encouraging hug to Navi. “You'll get to have to that talk sooner rather than later.”

“I hope so...”

Outside, a block away, a person stood in an empty room, staring with wide eyes and mouth gaping. They then quickly looked down at the large camera in their hands and quickly pressed some buttons to view what was on it. Once that was done, they looked up to stare again for a moment before forcefully shaking themselves out of it and bringing up a phone.

GAMMA

An aging man with silver-gray hair and wearing a Blackwatch hardsuit sans the helmet entered a luxurious office. This man was Major Shepard, a member of the old guard and currently he was rather angry. The Major threw himself heavily upon his chair and angrily brought up his phone. He quickly speed-dialed a number in his contacts he now wished he hadn't bothered with before bringing the phone up to his ear. He then waited impatiently for a few seconds for the person on the other end to pick.

“I was just about to call you,” Sophie said the instant she answered.

“What the fuck do you think you are doing?!” the Major demanded, clenching a fist tightly in anger. “We we gave you intel and gear pertinent to our investigations so you wouldn't go off half cocked and try to stir shit up! Don't think just because you can shapeshift your movements are invisible to us. We've been seeing you engaging the target several-”

“Hold that thought,” Sophie said lightly, making the man even more enraged, though it stalled slightly when his computer beeped. “I hope you are at a computer right now, because I just finished uploading some rather interesting footage to the network you told me about.”

Shepard ground his teeth audibly but quickly brought up the cloud storage on his computer. There was something distinctly smug about Sophie right at this moment, like she held all the cards. So despite his anger, he found himself rather curious about what she found. He found the video file she uploaded and hit play on it. At first it was nothing, just a zoomed in recording of the outside of an apartment window. However, Emerald and her girlfriend then came into sight. The man remained staring in silence. This wasn't the first video he watched that was seemingly nothing at first until you saw the one important detail, so he remained staring with his gaze firmly fixed until it happened.

The Major leaned back in his chair, no longer angry but not entirely sure what he saw either. He quickly played the video back on the specific part. He stared at the image of one Emerald Gleaner disappearing from sight. He leaned back again and let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding. He still wasn't sure what he was seeing.

“What am I looking at here?” Shepard asked Sophie calmly.

“Well it could one of two things,” Sophie replied with a noticeably happy tone to her voice. “Either Oskar knows how to turn invisible or he can teleport. Personally I think he can do the latter.”

Both of those sounded like very bad things for a Cursor to have, but the former also seemed more believable.

“Give me your reasoning for why you think it isn't some sort of advanced biological camouflage,” Shepard asked, replaying the video again and again.

“Well... as soon as I was made aware of what had been seen, I sent a fellow over to give a once over of the building with that special handheld scanner you gave me,” Sophie said. “Figured it was worth the risk. Occasionally he got a false positive from accidentally scanning himself, but otherwise, not a single blip in the whole building. So either Oskar had already somehow left without being seen despite the fact we never saw the apartment door open, or he has an alternative means of getting around, AKA teleportation.”

Again, both were rather bad and Shepard was more inclined to think Emerald was capable of the former, simply due to the fact the latter was just such a fantastical ability even in his wide and varied experience serving in Blackwatch. Right now the Major couldn't help his mind beginning to wander as the potential washed over him.

“This explains why it was so hard to keep tabs on Oskar,” Sophie said with an inexplicably excited tone. “We didn't want to tip him off on the fact there were people following him around so we didn't get too close whenever we tried to tail him. That led to him disappearing every time he walked around a corner. If we attempted to keep a closer eye on him, we probably would have seen this happening sooner. Teleportation.”

Major Shepard wasn't really listening to Sophie; he was busy with his thoughts. If he was right and Emerald could only turn invisible, then that alone held massive advantages. When it came to sneaking up on the enemy you had one of three options, cloak your approach with the terrain, make use of camouflage to approach in the open or use a disguise. The last of the three may have been a war crime but in the Major's opinion, idiots who would never step on a battlefield shouldn't attempt to dictate what happened on it. Being able to go completely invisible took out a lot of difficulties in approaching the enemy for a surprise attack. One could possibly set up out in the open in a place where the enemy was utterly at ease and unleash a completely devastating surprise attack.

However if Shepard were to go into the other direction and seriously consider the idea that Emerald really could teleport... why, the potential was as horrifying as it was lucrative. He had to know more.

“Has the target returned to the apartment?” Shepard asked suddenly.

“No he has not,” Sophie answered. “I've got people watching the apartment, ordered to message me as soon as he does.”

“The other girl wasn't surprised by the target's sudden disappearance,” the Major stated. “She knows things. This is too big to ignore. Keep an eye on the apartment and message me the instant you spot the target.”

“What are you going to do?” Sophie asked, intensely curious.

“You'll be kept in the loop,” Shepard assured as he stood up from his desk. “There is no plan just yet, but we are going to act very soon.”

“Looking forward to it,” Sophie replied eagerly.

DELTA

Twilight sat in Jared's kitchen, watching as everyone played games in the living room.

Navi wanted to go play with Sunset and Jared and Spike felt everyone should be together, especially now when Twilight wasn't feeling so well emotionally. Twilight herself appreciated the sentiment and did feel better around others than just being by herself with her own thoughts and emotions. Right now, however, her biggest concern was waiting for Emerald to come back so they could have that dearly needed talk.

So far Twilight was several hours into her waiting with no Emerald in sight. She wasn't worried, however. Emerald always came back, though she wished she would do so sooner rather than later.

So to pass the time, Twilight watched the group in the living room play video games while also switching to reading a book every now and then. Twilight then noticed that Navi started to curiously look back towards the door of the apartment.

“Navi, what's wrong?” Twilight asked.

“There's loads of people in the hallway for some reason.” Navi replied with a little confusion.

“Oh?” Twilight said and looked towards the door herself.

Suddenly a thin object slid out from under the door and Twilight stared directly at it for a moment before her vision went white. The former unicorn had no idea what happened. One moment she was sitting, the next her vision went completely white and all she could hear was a high pitch whine in her eyes and felt like she had gotten struck in the face. She attempted to get up onto her feet but suddenly it was like she was trying to learn how to walk on two legs again. She fell to the floor on her hands and knees and struggled to get up until she felt like something had kicked her hard in the stomach. She flopped over onto her back and then suddenly it was like her every nerve came on fire and she had a full body muscle cramp.

The only thing she could do was scream before it all went mercifully black.

Spike, Sunset Shimmer, Navi and Jared hadn't looking towards the door when the flash bang went off, but that only helped a little. Unlike the others, however, Navi wasn't human. Her senses were only overwhelmed for a second, if even that much. With a shake of her head, Navi turned her head around to see half a dozen men wearing casual clothes bust down Jared's door and storm into the room. Two went for Twilight who was in the middle of falling out of her chair and the rest went for the group in the living room.

Three of the men grabbed the back of the couch most of everyone was sitting in and pulled it back, spilling backwards onto the floor while another went for Spike sitting in an arm chair. One of the men quickly bound Navi's hands in a zip tie who simply looked down at it in confusion. Navi was still deeply lost about what exactly was going on when suddenly Twilight screamed. Her head whipped up to see one of the men pulling a shock prod away from Twilight's limp body and suddenly Navi had a realization.

“You're all bad guys!” Navi shouted with a point and started angrily hopping in place. “You dirty- I'm gonna beat you all up!”

The man who had zip tied her looked at her in annoyance and pulled a hand back to smack her when Navi reared her fist back and snapped the zip tie effortlessly in one motion. He had enough time for his eyes to widen in realization when Navi's little fist struck his stomach.

Navi recalled her magical lessons from Emerald perfectly, so just before her blow landed she undid the lightening spell on her body briefly, allowing her true weight to take presence. Instead of the weight of a little girl's arm, Navi's punch landed with several hundred pounds of condensed mass behind it. There was a crunch and a loud, disgusting sounding retch from the man as he was sent flying across the room, spewing vomit and blood as he did.

“Shit!” one of the men shouted in shock. “CURSOR!”

“Hiyah!” Navi darted forward and gave a sweep kick through the air at the next man's knees, shattering the bones there and nearly tearing everything below the knees right off. The man fell to the ground with a scream and Navi used his chest as a launching point to give a jump kick to the next man.

“Yah!” Navi's foot impacted the chest of her next target who was in the middle of fully drawing his shock prod. There was a crack of bones breaking and shattering as he was sent flying across the room and nearly hit the other man by Spike before smashing into the wall and leaving a large dent.

The man by Spike had his shock prod fully out and activated it. Tiny arcs of electricity leapt about the prongs of the prod and swung at Navi the instant she made to approach him. The prod impacted, but nothing seemed to happen and the prod gave a warning tone of low battery power a near instant after it landed. Navi reached up and grabbed hold of one of his arms. The moment her hands came close enough, however, little arcs of electricity leapt from her hands to the man. The man screamed and spasmed in place as Navi grabbed his arm and swung him over her shoulder, sending him not only flying across the room but through a window.

“Yeah!” Navi cheered with a hop and raise of a victorious fist. “Birdy lion power!”

Navi then quickly stood protectively in front of the others with her fists up and at the ready, facing down the final two men.

“Shoot her!” shouted one of them and they both quickly whipped out large pistols.

Bullets went flying and a few sunk into Navi's midsection. At fist she was content to ignore it, but suddenly she felt a wave of nausea issue forth from the points of impact in her stomach. She gave a gasp and fell forward onto her hands and knees as the feeling only grew in intensity.

“Keep shooting!”

Suddenly Sunset, from the spot on the ground where she had remained still all this time, reached out both hands at the two remaining men. A ball of cyan light quickly gathered and grew exponentially. When it rapidly reached the size of a basketball in a split second, it exploded with a blinding light.

The following hail of bullets went wildly off their mark as their shooters were effectively blinded. However this meant little as yet more men were now in the middle of entering the apartment as well.

“Navi, get us out of here!” Spike shouted.

Despite her horribly aching stomach, Navi obeyed and concentrated as the small wave of men rushed towards them. Before any of them could be grabbed, they suddenly disappeared in a flash of pink light.

The men in the room paused for an instant before rushing forward and waving their hands through the air where the group had just previously occupied. Once that was done, one of them quickly brought a hand to one of their eyes.

“Command, this is squad,” he said loudly. “Teleportation is confirmed! Targets have escaped!”

“Squad, we have confirmed on our end as well,” came the calm reply. “Spotters just witnessed the targets appear in the apartment. Apprehend at all costs.”

“Roger that, Command. Squad out!” the clear leader of the squad said before pointing to the two remaining members of the breaching party. “You two! Secure that one! The rest of you are with me, GO GO GO!”

The six men quickly dashed out of the room, pistols held at the ready. People leaving their apartments to investigate shouted and screamed in alarm before quickly darting back into their rooms at the appearance of the armed men. One man quickly got into position in front of the apartment door and attempted to shoulder bash it down. The instant he attempted to do so, however, he was sent flying back into the wall opposite the door. The still standing men briefly looked amongst themselves. Even for a reinforced door, attempting to bash it down wouldn't have that kind of response.

“Grab the breaching charges,” the squad leader commanded as he got into position near the door. “We need in there now.”

One man quickly made for a duffle bag near the door to Jared's apartment and quickly opened it. He pulled out a folded up mat looking thing and quickly made for the door. Unfolding it, he then quickly stuck it to the door and pulled out what was clearly the detonation trigger. He took position on one side of the door and waited a moment before pressing the switch.

The breaching charge exploded and instantly met a nigh impervious barrier. The energy and little bits of shrapnel facing a unyielding wall went the only other directions they could.

Short lived shouts and curses filled the air along with the explosion as the door breacher backfired and sent shrapnel flying at the men. Instantly, most of the squad was on the ground. One was dead and two were wounded with the remaining being the squad leader and one other man.

With a curse on his breath, the squad leader reached up towards his ear to use his radio when he was interrupted. A loud hum suddenly filled the air and the two remaining men looked towards the apartment walls and door. Runic symbols appeared, brightly glowing white. The first appeared on the door but quickly spread to the walls. Intricate designs utterly filled the empty spaces on the walls as the humming only grew and grew in volume.

There was a point when the runic protections set by Emerald stopped being passively protective and started actively retaliating. The explosive attempt to gain entrance into the apartment crossed that line.

Back inside, everyone listened intently as a low boom filled and the air and the humming started to die down, though the runic protection remained visible.

“It's okay, the runes are on full alert now.” Sunset sighed after briefly integrating magically with the runic circuits. She didn't have “admin” privileges like Twilight, but she could at least get a status report. “We're safe now.”

“Great...” Spike said and crouched down by Navi. “Navi, are you okay?”

“Uncle...” Navi moaned with tears in her eyes. “My tummy hurts...”

“Jared, are you okay to- Jared?! No! Oh dear Celestia, no!” Spike heard Sunset's voice rapidly shift to alarm and fear and looked back towards the prone man on the ground.

Jared was most definitely, unarguably dead. He lied limply on the ground with blood pooling beneath him leaking from a grizzly bullet crater near the top of his head. The look of pain and confusion etched upon his face in his final moments showed he had no clear idea of what was happening before it was all over.

“No no no no no no, why?!?” Spike turned away, fighting the retch and thinking that his face probably looked as green as his hair.

'Emerald, where in the world are you?' Spike thought and that thought of Emerald suddenly made him look around as he realized that someone was missing.

“Where's Twilight?!”

EPSILON

Trisha wasn't able to hide her nervousness as well as Jacob did.

The last week or so had been worrying. Normally Sophie demanded reports and details about all their interactions with Emerald, always hoping to find that little nugget of information she needed to prove to everyone Emerald was too dangerous to let be. This also had the side effect of keeping Trisha and Jacob in the know about a lot of Sophie's activities, something Trisha used to her advantage to keep Gabriel in the know as well.

However, Sophie's behaviour just suddenly changed out of the blue one day. Suddenly she was no longer as interested in Trisha and Jacob's reports. Her lack of interest got to the point where she simply outright told the two of them just report in when they had something they felt was important. This ultimately meant that Trisha and Jacob couldn't really come around Sophie's headquarters anymore without something good to report in with. It wasn't exactly a social club as the only people who really stuck around for pleasure were the ones living there. So Trisha and Jacob could hardly just hang around to see what Sophie was up to without looking suspicious. So Trisha and Jacob were practically hung out to dry wondering what could have happened to make Sophie act this way. As much as Trisha wanted to believe that Sophie was realizing that Emerald wasn't secretly evil, she knew it would take quite the event for Sophie to overcome so much pain and anger.

Currently they were all standing around in a small factory stockyard partially filled with rusting stacks of steel. Sophie had made a call to everyone ordering them to come in and that it was an emergency. When they all arrived, Sophie had ordered them to clear out a wide area in the middle of the yard and then await the arrival of some people.

Trisha shifted nervously on a bit of steel that somehow had yet to rust and glanced over at Jacob. He looked as at ease with things as always, leaning against a brick wall with arms crossed but Trisha knew better. She could see the way he wasn't as relaxed and loose as he normally was. Instead his stance was stiff and his muscles tense. He knew as well as her that something was up.

Jacob caught her looking and subtly shifted his eyes in a specific direction. Trisha looked and saw Sophie standing in the very center of the yard. She was completely different. She normally had this undercurrent of anger and frustration at all times. It was something constant to Sophie's character that Trisha had gotten used to. Even when the girl was out drinking and having fun, you couldn't help but feel she was relaxing in spite of herself and had to force it most times. However, right now there was a grin that Sophie had to fight to hide and a giddy eagerness to her stance that had her practically bouncing in impatience.

It was quite the sight and Trisha couldn't help but feel that something terrible was going on.

“Here they are,” Sophie said suddenly and turned towards the entrance the yard. “Finally. Get ready to open those doors!”

Trisha heard the sound of a car engine getting close as two Cursors quickly darted over to the gates and stood at the ready to open it. After a minute, the doors opened and in drove a minivan. It wasn't a new model by any means and definitely looked to have quite a few miles on it. It was such a run of the mill sight that unless Trisha had been looking specifically for this kind of vehicle she would have easily ignored the sight. Looking at it now and taking in some details, she did note some things were off about it. The tires looked a bit too new compared to the rest of the vehicle and the windows possibly a bit too tinted.

The doors closed behind the minivan and no one moved. The people in the van didn't make a move to get out and Sophie didn't say anything else save for looking impatiently at her watch. Suddenly the sound of quite a few helicopter rotors filled the air. Everyone looked up to see Blackwatch choppers rising to the air in a near dozen.

“Finally, finally,” Sophie said eagerly with a toothy grin.

“What's going on?” Trisha asked with a frown.

“Oh, just a nice distraction our friends here did to hide movement,” Sophie answered absently as the doors to the minivan finally opened.

Out of the minivan came four Blackwatch soldiers in full combat gear. The lead one was holding a hand to the side of his helmet as he walked over to the center of the yard and another leaned back in the van to pull something out.

If she had a physical heart Trisha would have honestly felt it stop for a moment at seeing a Blackwatch soldier hoist an unconscious Twilight over his shoulders and carry her over into the yard. She quickly glanced over to Jacob who was now outright frowning at the sight.

“Wha-what is this?” Trisha said in clear alarm towards Sophie.

“Just the results of my own private investigations,” Sophie answered smugly. “Oskar finally slipped up and it only took me egging him on from the shadows to do it. Soooo very worth it. Oh don't look like that, that girl knew what she was getting into dating a monster like that.”

Trisha just gaped and stared, completely frozen and disbelieving that Sophie would actually go this far. She watched as one of the choppers overhead suddenly dove down towards them and touched down in the yard. Most of the Blackwatch soldiers loaded up into the chopper but one remained behind to quickly jump back into the van and drive it away. Within moments the chopper was back in the air amid the veritable cloud of other choppers. Finally she snapped out of it. She took one look at Sophie and the other Cursors around her and made a snap decision.

Sophie quickly turned her head to look as she heard the sound of someone running. She saw Trisha in a sprint and leaping into the air, Jacob barely a few steps behind her. It didn't take long for the other Cursors to realize Trisha was going to betray them with the way she suddenly ran for it. They started to make chase, when...

“Stop!” Sophie shouted with a raised hand. “It doesn't matter now, let them go. If anything, this makes the next step of the plan that much easier.”

“What do you mean?” one of the Cursors asked.

“It seems I underestimated the kind of people Trisha was willing to become friends with, but like I said it hardly matters now,” Sophie said with a shrug. “She's going to head straight for Oskar, I know it. And when she does, Oskar will come straight to us and then, finally, there will be justice.”

The Cursors looked amongst themselves, the clearly giddy bloodthirst on Sophie's expression suddenly making them doubt their purpose here. However, it was quickly shaken off after a moment. They were all like Sophie in a way. Grieving and hurting in the absence of loved ones lost to the outbreaks. But even so, many couldn't help but feel they all handled that loss a lot better then Sophie did...

ZETA

'Why did I have to make the hiding place for the Element of Magic so damn far away,' Emerald thought in irritation as she kicked over some red rocks, exposing the hidden Element. 'Oh yeah, because I’m unreasonably paranoid, that's why.'

Picking up the glittering magical tiara, Emerald looked up and took in her surroundings. The place she was standing on was so high up that she could see stars very clearly despite it being noon where she was and the sun shining high in the sky. Looking down, she took in a massive, gradual slope leading to vast, endless plains and deserts of red and orange along with distant mountain ranges. So high was her altitude that the curvature of the horizon became blindingly obvious.

'Still though, the view is worth it.' Emerald smiled as she took in said sight. 'And even though most other people won't know it, I can say to myself that I was the first person to set foot on Mars.'

Yes, the Evolved was on the distant red planet, fourth world orbiting Sol. Honestly she could have very easily hid the Element on the moon and it would have been just as safe. However, she had been utterly curious if she could actually make it there and back without rest and the allure of setting foot on the famed planet was too much.

It had taken her hundreds of the longest teleports she was comfortable making and hours long but the result was the knowledge she could make it from to Mars and back without stopping. Though she honestly did feel a bit winded afterwards, magically speaking. And being able to go anywhere pretty much instantly had definitely spoiled her, leaving her really annoyed with the trip taking hours and hours, despite knowing she was making an interplanetary trip under her own power.

'Well, enough wasting time,' Emerald thought, clapping her hands together. 'I have to get home now and it is a bit of a trip so I might as well get started.'

With that Emerald teleported, instantly leaving the surface of Mars and entering the far reaches of its orbit. In the emptiness of space Emerald was without a good many traditional means of quickly ascertaining her exact location in relation to her surroundings. Her primary means of calculating her position and her next teleport was mostly “eyeballing” Earth and the other celestial bodies as well as a few constellations and recognizable stars. Despite this, she couldn't help but feel a little disoriented after every port and be forced to spend a few moments regaining some semblance of her bearings. It didn't help that she couldn't help but feel like she was stuck in the void not actually getting closer to anywhere.

'Screw this,' she thought with a grimace as she teleported again. 'Next time I do space travel, I'm making a ship to walk around on and do the teleporting for me. This is just a really confusing combination of terrifying and boring.'

Despite the primal fears assailing her, eventually Emerald got into a kind of repetitive tedium of teleporting, finding her coordinates and teleporting again. She was left with nothing but her absent thoughts to pass the time as she steadily made her way back to Earth and the others. When Twilight said she had wanted some space, Emerald decided it was best to give her a few hours for her to regain her equilibrium. She had taken the opportunity to make the trip to Mars to go get the Element of Magic where she had hidden it. The trip took her several hours no matter what, so she figured Twilight would have centered herself enough for a talk that they very clearly needed.

'God damn it, Sophie. If it weren't for the fact we'll be leaving in just two days I'd track you down to give you a beating for that,' Emerald thought in anger. 'You can bother me all you want, but leave Twilight out of this. I honestly find myself liking Tabitha but it's hardly anything other than friendliness. Maybe if I tried to introduce Twilight to Tabitha straight away this morning instead of saving it for later in the afternoon it would have headed things off.'

'Oh well, can't do anything about it now,' Emerald thought with an inward sigh as she teleported again. 'Just got to get home now. Still though, Twilight does have a point. It isn't exactly fair that I only start showing her a lot of affection after she became human. But... I can't really help either, I find her pony form really cute and all but I know that's hardly the same as how I see her in human form. What do I do? This isn't exactly something I can force, can’t I?'

Emerald had no answers for herself and ended up spending the rest of the trip unable to really think about anything else. As she came closer to Earth, however, she began feeling something off and... wrong, so very wrong. A few teleports away from proper orbit with Earth, she began to feel like the others were in danger. She could feel something was very wrong, yet at the same time knew it was certain without proof. Remembering the last time she found herself filled with strange certainty and acting without really thinking, Emerald found herself holding herself back from rushing. But it was when she was four teleports away that all reluctance faded.

“MAMA! HELP!” Navi cried in pain, her voice echoing in Emerald's mind.

Emerald's eyes widened and she made a one final teleport that gave off such an intense flash of light it would have easily been visible to anyone looking that way with a telescope. She arrived back at the apartment an instant later and took one look around to see that yes, it was true, things were very wrong.

“Mama!” Navi cried happily and attempted to get up on her feet only to give a cry of pain and go back to curling up on the ground.

“Emerald!” Spike said with clear relief on his face.

“What happened?” Emerald said as she quickly got to Navi's side.

“We were visiting Jared, all of us, when a whole bunch of guys bashed the door down and attacked us!” Spike explained quickly. “Navi beat up a lot of them but they shot her with guns, Sunset hit them with a spell and Navi got us back here with a teleport.”

“You okay there, cuddlebug?” Emerald asked Navi softly as she reached into her with a tendril.

“My stomach hurts, Mama,” Navi said with tears in her eyes. She felt Emerald's tendrils prod at her for entrance and she willed her flesh to part and allow the tendrils access wherever they wished.

“Polonium rounds,” Emerald commented as she quickly gathered up the bullets in Navi's body. “Radiation can be really nasty. I'll show you how to fix yourself later, but you should be good now.”

“Thank you, Mama!” Navi cried out happily as she sat up and immediately gave Emerald a tight hug, no longer feeling any pain after Emerald extracted the bullets and removed the radiated flesh. “I tried to protect everyone, Mama, but I...”

“It's okay, Navi,” Emerald returned the hug with a kiss atop the little virus' head. “You did all you could.”

“Emerald!”

Emerald looked up to see Sunset Shimmer on her knees next to a body with its head covered by a towel. The Evolved was quick to note the blood stains on the floor and the crimson stains on the towel itself. She gently pulled herself free of Navi's hug and went over to Sunset Shimmer.

“Is that who I think it is?” Emerald asked solemnly as she went down onto a knee.

“Jared... he was hit by a stray bullet...” Sunset explained and quickly looked away when Emerald lifted the towel to examine the wound herself. “Jus-Just please tell me you can heal him! You fixed my back! You must be able to do something.”

“Solid hit in the brain...” Emerald said softly and lowered the towel back onto the head, the action causing hope to rapidly drain in Sunset Shimmer. “If he had been hit literally anywhere else I might, might have been able to do something, but... I'm sorry Sunset, he's not coming back.”

“...” Sunset Shimmer covered her face with her hands and went silent for moment before releasing a loud, wordless scream.

Emerald closed her eyes and sighed; her changeling senses were a bit of a downside here. She could feel all the raw emotions filling the air, flooding out of Sunset in a chaotic furor. Anger, grief, despair, hatred. It was quite the mix and for her changeling senses it was like the equivalent of mixing together a dozen food types that had no business being together. Very unpleasant to say the least.

Emerald easily pushed that aside. It hadn't escaped her notice that Twilight wasn't in the room and now that the imminent issues were handled she wanted answers.

“Where's Twilight?” Emerald asked, turning her head back towards Spike.

“She's gone!” Spike answered and Navi immediately burst into bawling tears. “We accidentally left her behind when we teleported. When Sunset went to go check after everything quieted down she was just gone!”

“I-I-I-I le-left Papa behind!” Navi sobbed. “A-and the b-bad guys took her!”

“I will get her back,” Emerald said, reaching over and placing her hand atop Navi's head briefly before standing back up.

Emerald had known something bad had happened but this confirmation caused a burst of worry and fear in her before it was overcome by sheer rage. Rage so intense it should have blinded her, but yet... she found her focus clear and her thoughts unmuddled despite the maelstrom of fury broiling inside of her. If anything, her rage was like a whetstone for the focus she now had.

“Sunset,” Emerald said, turning back to the girl who still looked the image of grief.

“... What?” Sunset said after a moment and uncovered her face only to be met with the Element of Magic. “Wha-”

“Take it” Emerald stated with hand held out.

“But I-” Sunset protested only to be silenced when Emerald just went ahead and placed it on her head. She froze almost out of fear for moment before looking back at Emerald in confusion.

“The runes should keep you safe,” Emerald simply said and stood up fully. “But if the worst comes, you'll need that to protect yourself and them.”

“I... okay,” Sunset Shimmer said and turned her downcast eyes towards Jared's corpse. “Just... get back quick, okay?”

“I'll be back with Twilight before sunrise,” Emerald said with certainty and walked towards the door. “Open this door for no one.”

Emerald opened the door and closed it behind her. She kept her hand on the doorknob for a moment and sent a large amount of magic into the runic protections, powering them up greatly. She looked down at the bodies on the ground. About half of them were dead while the other half were simply in a magically induced coma. The same could be said of everyone else on the floor and floors directly above and below. The men hadn't actually completely set off the runic defenses. Sure it was on retaliation mode, but there was a mode above that. Though that one pretty much required the destruction of the complex.

The virus bent down and briefly pressed a finger to the temples of each unconscious man. Each man in turn briefly spasmed in place at her touch before going back to being still. They were still alive but now rendered into a vegetative state. This was the result of Emerald's mind magic. She was quite capable of keeping someone from becoming brain dead due to her reading their mind. But being gentle took a few seconds while simply taking the information without regard for her victim took only an instant.

Emerald crossed her arms and closed her eyes in thought. Each of the men were Blackwatch soldiers, but working for the Old Guard faction within the former Black Ops organization. However they all were Third Generation Blackwatch and simply shared the belief with the Old Guard that the Cursors were too dangerous to exist. This fact was used to the Old Guard's advantage for purposes of information blackout. The only thing these men knew was their targets, that the recovery vehicle would be outside and the potential ability of one of confirmed hostiles in their mission, namely teleportation.

She should have been very concerned that the likes of the Old Guard had even the smallest inkling of her true capability, but she wasn't. Her only concern as of right now was tracking down Twilight, which was likely not going to be simple.

Emerald was about to track Twilight using her scent when suddenly there was the sound of a window shattering. She turned around in time to see a door come flying off its frame. A moment later, Trisha came running out the door.

“EMERALD!” Trisha shouted the instant she saw Emerald and quickly ran over to her. “Twilight was kidnapped!”

“I'm fully aware, Trisha,” Emerald answered simply. “I am about to track her down and those responsible.”

“I know the spot she was taken to, but-” Trisha began only to be interrupted by Emerald whipping her hand out and firmly grasping the top of her head.

“Show me,” Emerald all but commanded.

“Wha- Emerald, what?” Trisha sputtered in confusion.

“Holy shit!” Jacob said as he entered the hallway himself. Unlike Trisha, the first thing he noticed was the wall covered in glowing symbols. “The hell is this?!”

Emerald fully intended to just see the most recent memories and nothing else, however when she saw Trisha's memories and how she and Jacob were just with Sophie without a single issue, she had to see why that was so. Emerald found herself rapidly going over Trisha's memories over the last month and while she found herself feeling disappointed, at the same time she fully understood.

“I don't blame you and Jacob for spying on me, Trisha,” Emerald said and pulled her hand away.

“Woah!” Jacob started, finally looking over towards Emerald. “I didn't know we were going to make a full confession like that. I mean it's not like it's a great time and all for it...”

“No, I-I didn't!” Trisha sputtered in wide eyed confusion. “Emerald, how-why?!”

“A lot of people are going to be asking that question in the future,” Emerald said and teleported away, leaving the two gaping in the hallway.

Emerald arrived in a location very near to the yard Twilight had been taken to. She had teleported out in the open up on a rooftop; there was no longer a point to hiding. Emerald crouched down briefly before shooting up into the air in a large leap and landed down on the ground with a thump.

“There you are!” Sophie said with a smile from where she was sitting on some rusting steel.

Emerald stood up and looked around. She was in the factory yard Trisha had just left. She was standing roughly in the center of the yard. All around her standing in a rough circle were fifteen Cursors, including Sophie.

“Hello Sophie,” Emerald said blandly.

“Hi!” Sophie said with a smile and quick wave. “You were pretty quick to respond, but not quick enough unfortunately. But if you were just ten whole minutes quicker you probably would have managed to get here just as she was being loaded into the chopper.

“Which brings up the question of how or why you were even late in the first place,” Sophie said as she stood up and took a few steps closer to Emerald, something the other Cursors did as well. “I mean you can teleport. Why weren't you just on us the instant they took Twilight? You always have a phone on you. Can it be that you can only do it so often? Or maybe... just maybe I misjudged you and you only bothered to try to rescue her only now.”

“Sophie, I am already angry,” Emerald stated with utter certainty. “What you are doing is just a drop in the ocean.”

“...Fuck it then,” Sophie said with an instant scowl, throwing her hands up in the air. “Blackwatch wants you alive to find out how your tricks work so I can't kill you. Not yet, anyway. I figure giving them the largest, still living chunk after we are through will be enough. So for old time's sake, if nothing else, could you do me a big favour and try to struggle this time? You laying back and taking it like a bitch last time took all the fun out of it.”

“I'm not going to struggle,” Emerald answered, crossing her arms and closing her eyes. “That implies this is going to require effort on my part.”

“You live with a bunch of hicks for a few years and suddenly you think you're Superman!” Sophie snarled in frustration. “TEAR HIM TO PIECES!!!”

The Cursors surrounding Emerald charged, forming various viral weapons like claws, blades or whitfists with Sophie being the sole one using hammerfists. As they closed in, Emerald opened her eyes and took in the sight of them charging her, weapons bared.

'To think only three years ago we were equals in power,' Emerald thought as the Cursors moved sluggishly in her sight. 'I'm not going to humour you.'

With a few cracks of her neck, Emerald moved. Suddenly she was in the face of one clawed Cursor who only had time to widen her eyes when Emerald gave a single slash and she fell to pieces. Emerald bounded away and drove her fists into the stomachs of two Evolved. She impaled them with the ease of sticking fruit on a razor sharp blade. She telekinetically pushed them off her fists and grabbed the two by their legs before swinging them into two other Cursors like flails.

She moved again. By now the Cursors were reacting thanks to their own superhuman reaction times and speed. Shifting a blade, she slashed through the blade of one Cursor and bisected him with the width of the slash being big enough to behead another Cursor near him. Emerald darted over and gave him an axe kick, smashing his head into his body and then his body into the ground.

Emerald quickly whipped her hand towards another Cursor and dozens of tendrils shot out and impaled the Cursor in many places. The tendrils rapidly then pulled and ripped the other Cursor to shreds before mashing the body parts against one another. She then used the ball of gore she created as an impromptu wrecking ball against another Cursor.

The Cursors were definitely reacting now and attempting to pull back as their numbers dropped rapidly like flies. Emerald didn't let them and continued the offensive. She darted forward and boxed the ears of an Evolved so hard her head utterly collapsed in on itself. She then twirled onto the next Cursor and unleashed a hail of punches that pulverized the entirety of his front. Emerald then shifted one arm into a hammerfist and swung it into another Evolved, completely obliterating his upper body and continued the momentum into another Evolved.

Without looking, Emerald then firmly shoved her elbow backwards, smashing it into the Cursor directly behind her who tried to be clever. She shifted a blade onto said arm but backwards. She angled her arm and gutted him before rapidly shifting the blade the right way around and bisecting him with a spin, turning two pieces into four.

Finally, with a short hop, Emerald returned herself to the spot she had arrived in and silence reigned.

The various Cursors lied on the ground staring at Emerald in shock while others worked to regain human shape after being mashed or torn to pieces. The only Cursor left standing was Sophie who stood frozen in place staring at Emerald. For her part, Emerald simply waited until the other Cursors were almost fully in one piece before acting once more.

Emerald lifted a hand into the air sharply and every Cursor save Sophie suddenly floated up into midair. She gave a pushing motion in front of her and every Evolved flew through the air and then crashed together midair in a tangle of limbs, but that wasn't the end of it. Following the Evolved were also the many, many rusting pieces of steel lying about the yard. They crashed together over the Cursors with a mighty clanging before glowing briefly. When the glow ended, there was a great ball of polished steel floating in midair. Emerald let go of it magically and instantly lashed out with a kick that sent the ball flying into the abandoned factory and shaking the ground with its impact within.

Sophie continued standing still, staring near uncomprehending what was going on. Suddenly the utter befuddlement left her features and in its place was total rage and defiance. With a roar, Sophie continued her charge at Emerald’s exposed back and cocked back a hammerfist. She swung it forward but met nothing but empty air.

Emerald didn't teleport out of the way of Sophie's blow, she didn't need to. She just bent over and then back stepped around her; she was simply that slow. Facing Sophie's own exposed back, Emerald reared back her own fist which began to glow and crackle with charging magic.

'Wind, come to me,' Emerald thought.

Sophie turned herself just fast enough to see Emerald's fist flying at her at impossible speeds. She widened her eyes, unable to act or do anything to protect herself in time. The fist came to a stop a mere inch from Sophie's face, but that didn't mean it didn't do anything.

The instant Emerald's fist came to a stop, winds beyond hurricane strength kicked up around Sophie. Bits of steel still remaining in the air instantly took flight like they were two-by-fours instead. The building of brick and steel behind her groaned and shook visibly under the abuse brought on by the intensely buffeting winds before simply collapsing inwards. And after a mere moment it was all over.

Sophie stood, blankly staring at Emerald's fist before her as the dust around them began to settle. Emerald simply brought her hand down back to her side and took one step back. Sophie began to breath loudly before falling onto her hands and knees and beginning to pant like she couldn't breath. Finally, after a long moment of nothing but her panting for breath, she pushed herself onto her knees and looked up blankly at Emerald, very much the image of a prisoner awaiting execution.

Emerald simply stared down at her as the light of the setting sun turned the sky yellow and orange.

ETA

“What about her?” a voice asked eagerly. “She looks pretty. You know, for a pony.”

“Stop that!” Taleena thought furiously as she struggled to give the passing crystal pony a polite smile. “I am NOT interested in females, let alone pony females!”

“Well you never know until you try!” exclaimed another voice. “I heard that Twilight Sparkle didn't show any inclinations towards females either, yet she is in a relationship with one now!”

“Just go and give it a try, darling,” encouraged a female voice. “It'll quiet them down a bit and besides, I honestly want to see what's so special about dating someone of the same gender.”

“Not you too!” Taleena thought with a despairing shout.

Taleena, Warlock of the Eldeer and chosen representative sent to Equestria was not having a great time. Taleena of course had prepared herself mentally for many indignities and struggles she'd have to endure in this land for the sake of her mission. She endured treating the ponies like a friendly acquaintance and that their hospitality was more then sufficient. She endured the back pain she gained the first night from the so called beds in this land, along with the absolutely budget lodgings she had been “gifted”. And most of all she had to endure treating Princess Celestia of all people as a newly made friend.

Yes, she had prepared herself for a great many indignities she would suffer but the last thing - the absolute last thing - she expected would be the utterly mortifying things she had to hear every single day from her own Noble Elders.

“Most N-Noble and respected Elders, please, I implore you to be decent!” Taleena said, firmly refusing to speak a single rude word to the voices.

“Now now, Taleena, listen to your Elders!” said the first voice with a tut. “A doe your age really shouldn't be this inexperienced in matters of life. You're how many centuries without experiencing your first love?”

“I do believe it was three hundred and sixty six, since the the day she was born,” replied the second voice.

“Exactly!” continued the first voice with a shout. “Why, you should have loved and been loved a dozen times over by now! When I was your age...”

“Errrrggggh!” Taleena groaned aloud and quickly looked around the halls of the Crystal Palace to ensure no one overheard that slip.

“Just bear with them dear, it gets quite boring in these gems at times,” said the sole female voice.

“Yes, Respected Elder,” Taleena replied with a barely muffled sigh.

The Noble Elders, or rather the long dead souls of Deer of significant power and importance from ages past. The Eldeer practised a form of necromancy that relied on the willingness of the soul to allow itself to be bound into gems after death, specifically specially refined amber. Rare was the Eldeer that passed beyond the veil of death and wasn't bound to a gem. Even the commoners of the Eldeer Conclaves were bound after death, but it was only the soul stones that carried the souls of powerful Eldeer Warlocks that could be used to power artifacts of incredible might and ability.

Every Eldeer who chose to become a Warlock preemptively bound their soul to a soul stone. This one act effectively turned the Warlock immortal, but it was by the souls of powerful Eldeer that drove their society forward. Thus while Warlocks could be expected to live up to a thousand years of age, they were expected to do their duty and commit Ritual Suicide at some point in their long lives, so their own Souls could be put to use by the next generations of Eldeer.

Thus Taleena's gear had Soul Stones of powerful Warlocks embedded in them. One in her helm, one in her chest piece beneath her robes and one in the spear always on her person but shrunk down and hidden out of sight. When she had been chosen for this mission she had felt proud and incredibly confident of her own abilities as she was chosen by her city's great leaders. So when she was advised to take only two soul stone enhanced pieces of equipment at the very most, she felt she would be found worthy by three. As it turned out, it wasn't a matter of worthiness but whether one could put up with the various personalities of each stone, as Taleena had been finding out to her growing mortification.

Currently Taleena had been on a diplomatic trip of sorts to the Crystal Empire. While she was loathe to visit the realm of another filthy First Master, it was still a part of her mission to investigate everything involving the Enclave. She had already met with the local princess and prince of the Empire and was currently touring the palace herself. She had been curious about the crystal heart itself since she heard it had a negative reaction towards Emerald, but other than glow softly it had no reaction to her.

'Typical of a pony relic,' Taleena thought dismissively. 'No respect for other species.'

After a moment, Taleena started hearing a noise very march like marching. Curious of the source, she followed the noise until she found herself peering around a corner. What met her sight was the strangest looking Diamond Dogs she had ever seen. If it wasn't for the fact she knew there was no other “civilized” canine species, she would have recognized them as such.

'Now what could this be?' Taleena thought as she watched a column of very tall, upright Diamond Dogs in strange armour marching in unison.

Part of her goal was to get into the Enclave if she could. She was instructed to avoid subterfuge for the time being and attempt so only officially. However, the small, isolationist nation wasn't accepting foreign dignitaries just yet. In fact for the most part all her interactions and news regarding the newborn nation itself came from either Celestia or Luna.

Despite these setbacks, Taleena wasn't at all discouraged. Her people had been very concerned once the Enclave had started making major waves in politics. For centuries the political games of the League had been easy enough to manipulate when it formed. The meagre factions formed and faded within years and the only major factions were held together by simple enough desires, to not starve and to avoid violence as much as possible. Desires that, with the guiding hoof of the Eldeer, throughout the ages were maintained successfully and easily.

However the appearance of the Enclave changed the political map forever. Within a single day much of the Eldeer's subtle influences throughout the League was undone. The carnivores' desire for plenty for once in their existence caused whole slew of nations to throw their support behind the smallest and youngest of them, a sentiment that mixed nations had been almost forced to follow for the sake of their own carnivorous population. The old carnivore faction had gone and in its place was one that had ties that bound its member with the strength of steel. Many other political entities had no clear idea of how to receive the Enclave most of the time, but a great many of them had bought into the international hospital idea that would revive the tragically dead.

Thus the Eldeer's influence had not only faded away but almost entirely replaced by a power that worked openly and was nearing a political stranglehold. Such influence and power could not be trusted to be used wisely by a group so young and new to the ways of the world.

Such was Taleena's mission, to seek a means of either curbing or influencing the upstart power, to ensure the wisdom of the Eldeer won out over youthful ignorance. To maintain the status quo and not the widespread iron dominion of eons past.

'And in the name of our Glory and the Independence of all, I will not fail,' Taleena thought with firm determination.

-TBC-

Author's Note:

AN: Right that's the second to last chapter of the book done, only one more chapter left, the finale! A lot is going to happen next chapter, so much!

AN2: Wished Fimfiction bothered to fix their importer rather then I having to meddle with scripts to make it work

Comments

[More Dakka]

Demons run when a good man goes to war… and Gods die when Emerald goes mama bear.

[Veo Skride]

I think at this point if the combined forces of a magic world can't beat Emerald, then the human world stands no chance of even slowing her down.

[N4rwh41]

F****** Space Elves Eldeer. Pompus twats.

[Atuhor Name]

I am completely with you on the whole importer thing. Don't even get me started on tab spacing in the normal importer.

[Qussar]

I'm at the edge of my seat
2 days left on the otherside

[Crescent Glaive]

8093144 Dying would imply there would be something left....

Gods stop existing when Emerald goes mama bear

[More Dakka]

8093179 Credit where credit is due, Taleena seems to at least be a somewhat better diplomat than the average Eldar. The average Eldar is incapable of going even a second without reminding a member of the 'lesser races' that they are less than slime under their shoe, while Taleena actually managed to pretend to be Celestia's friend... So yea, they're pompous Twats but at least one of them isn't as much of a Twat as most actual Eldar.

[Witchery]

Sequel after this?

[Necrogen Lord]

Literally bitch-slap James Heller to the Moon and back at this point. Hell, I'd bet that if Emerald knew the right combination of spells, she'd be able to completely stop time for more than a full minute, and given her speed, she might as well have a year in the frozen time.

[jvmontero]

8093356 ZA WARUDO !!

[Sleepyted]

I've written a story myself, it's not that big right now and it's been in the works for years now and only at 124,000 words right now. How the hell has this aurthor written over 400,000 words in so little time?!

[Heidao]

Whelp, RIP for everyone involved in the attack, and my condolences to everyone else forced to fight because the former group pissed off an eldritch horror by shooting her child and stealing waifu.

And I hope Heller is warned in time, before he gets his ass kicked in an unnecessary fight

[Necrogen Lord]

8093368
"How many people have you consumed to get that power, Emerald!?"

"How many hay burgers have you eaten in your life, Twilight?"

"Three hundred and twelve!"

"Huh..."

[jvmontero]

8093383

[stapart]

Now what could this be?' Taleena thought as she watched a column of very tall, upright Diamond Dogs in strange armour marching in unison.

and here I started hoping that maybe after everything, Emerald and Enclave will build outpost in Manhattan... or even take over/annexed whole thing

Such was Taleena's mission, to seek a means of either curbing or influencing the upstart power, to ensure the wisdom of the Eldeer won out over youthful ignorance. To maintain the status quo and not the widespread iron dominion of eons past.
And in the name of our Glory and the Independence of all, I will not fail,' Taleena thought with firm determination.

I only hope that she will not try to seduce Emerald or even worse: try to part Twilight and Emerald.........though who knows, maybe Emerald will influence her enough to allow her to see "light" (and true). Taleena as ally: VERY difficult (She/they are almost like eldar) but it's can probably happen

[Heidao]

Highlight of the story
Yes Navi, do it! Save the day-
*Gunshots*
FUCK!

[appelpieman]

Well black watch is going to cease to exist soon. Also getting some One Punch Man vibes from this chapter. Could just be me though.

[MostBrainWhyYes]

I require more of this story xD
8093376 Make another account, and just free-style fanfics, you could prolly make 5k words a day or more.

[Foxwing]

A Wild Update appeared!

Update used Fascinate!

It was SUPER EFFECTIVE!!!

Update used dramatic tension

Reader is ko

Pinkie...

[stardust flare]

so who just wants to form a crusade and kill all the Eldeer? just me?

[Midnight Moon]

Well, looks like Blackwatch will cease to exist soon enough. I can imagine Heller going on in, thinking he'll be able to stop this Runaway Cadre that decide to act up, and not even be able to so much as take a step without Emerald allowing it.

I remember going to the tumblr once, and asking Emerald how long it would take for her to wipe out the NYZ. Her response: "About a minute, and that's only to make sure I wipe out only the NYZ."

I get the feeling we're about to see that kind of power in action soon.

[ABitterPill]

Personally hoping the Eldar, I mean Eldeer, are wiped out in short order. Never liked the self-righteous, sanctimonious gits.

Sophie deserves to die, painfully and horribly, over and over and over and over and over and over. To have any and all forms of hope she may have crushed forever. To be left as nothing. I won't be satisfied unless that happens.

And Emerald better rescue Twilight and make Blackwatch look like a joke. Don't want any kind of struggle here, just an utter faceroll. Major Shepard and all those with his faction of Blackwatch need to die also, in short order. Or perhaps ahve their bodies altered so they are always in pain all the time and no medication can stop said pain. Suffering is what they deserve.

Sadly I know that Emerald is unlikely to kill Sophie or the Blackwatch faction. That would amount to a regression of her character. I can always futilely hope though.

[Not a clever mexican]

8093645 I'm afraidEmerald has more training to do since she still has hair.

[Durid the Druid]

I can see the hostage negotiation already.

Black Watch Officer: Do what we say or you will never see you lover again.

Emerald Gleaner: Harm or try to hide her, and I will become the Earth itself.

BWO: Shoot this punk!

BWO guns, tanks, and all automated defenses, and even the armor that is people are wearing ask: Why would we shoot ourselves?

EG: I ate your base before you even knew I was here, I AM YOUR BASE AND THE VERY LAND UNDER YOUR FEET. Now I know my girlfriend isn't actually here. How much of the Earth will I need to consume before I find her? OR you can get on a phone, and ask your REMF boss just how much of FUBAR this needs to become?

[More Dakka]

Before I forget again I’m just going to say that it’s a shame Jared died. I was looking forward to seeing how he’d react when he learned magic Technicolor ponies are a thing- Especially since Sunset seems to have been developing a thing for him.

[EverfreeSparkle]

I find her pony form really cute and all but I know that's hardly the same as how I see her in human form. What do I do? This isn't exactly something I can force, can’t I?'

Considering that her mind is whatever she wants it to be, she could easily just make herself attracted to Twilight's real body. Sexual preference is involuntary but, to her, it is merely a suggestion, so she may as well change it if she truly loves Twilight. Otherwise, she's just clinging to her old biology for purely selfish and pointless reasons.

[Past Participle]

8093899 I wouldn't go so far as to say Sophie deserves to die for this. Even if she's aware that her sister wasn't killed on a whim, emotion is one hell of a drug.

That being said, in her place I'd be more curious than ever to figure out exactly where my ex has been the last few years; it seems like a great place to visit...

[EverfreeSparkle]

Just when I felt the story was slowing down: bam! Emerald kicks ass. Let us hope Twilight isn't tortured in the time it takes Emerald to save her. Celestia save any poor soul that touches her...

[EverfreeSparkle]

8093899

And Emerald better rescue Twilight and make Blackwatch look like a joke. Don't want any kind of struggle here, just an utter faceroll.

Agreed. This is the payoff this story needs after the slow simmer in the human world. No artifical handicaps for the enemy; no lucky shots; just Emerald curb stomping everyone. The illusion of fairness is all well and good, but it's just that: an illusion.

[Ariel Schnee]

7987978 Depends on if it's the G1, G3. or G4 version there.

[jvmontero]

8093443 I think that an outpost would be really cool too.

[Sr Face Tear]

8093356

she'd be able to completely stop time for more than a full minute

So... forever than?

[Necrogen Lord]

8094194
Basically, yeah.

Like, Sophie could have Twi up by the throat, a single atom of air between her blade and Twi's neck, then Emerald gets serious for an attosecond and Sophie turns into nothingness before she can even realize she's dead.

[Sr Face Tear]

8094258 no, I was making a k=joke because you said that she could stop time for a minute, if time is stopped then a minute can't pas so the universe would end under those conditions, what you meant was one relative minute, and my joke was trying to point that out.

[Lichlord18]

8093847 i.imgur.com/gRDa3JP.jpg

[Necrogen Lord]

8094286
Oh yeah, sorry. I have no idea how someone actually measures that time.

[How to avoid swords]

They have no bloody idea what they just did.
They're not messing with Alex Mercer.
They're not messing with some random civilian that can't help themselves.
They're not even messing with Oskar osaker....
There messing with fucking Emrald mother fucking GLEANER! The lady that can consume a planet! The same girl that can do long-distance space travel and treat It like a fucking jog! The same beautiful son of a #*#* that can recreate the mother***ing FLOOD down too the smallest detail and set it lose for ShITs And GIGGLES!
The only reason I'm not calling them collectively suicidal is because they have no BLOODY CLUE what exactly there messing with! I would still call them moronic for messing with normal fu*"ing Oskar osaker!

I'm not even mad man I just want too see her tear them apart.

[Battlebubsy]

"she looked like a prisoner awaiting execution"
yessssss
*Jumps to Equestria*
I was cucked by deer. I don't like being cucked by deer

[MostBrainWhyYes]

8094033 I wanna see what humanity decides to do after they feel like Emerald is a god and they are helpless lol.

[stardust flare]

8094384 that deer https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/bd/4f/b8/bd4fb89ea30179f22a4764b6c4159847.jpg

[ErikPhantom]

Nggghhhhh... need... more...

Faceroll time bitches. Blackwatch fucked up, Emerald just hasn't informed them exactly how badly yet.

Shame about Jared, he was a good man, but ultimately a background/throwaway character and the death wasn't overly contrived or dramatized, accidental stray shot to the head due to blind gunfire in closed quarters is unfortunate but almost inevitable and I'm glad it was him and not Twi, Spike, or Sunset (Navi's a Cursor so her dying would take a sustained and deliberate effort, not one stray bullet. You had me worried for a minute with the stomach shots having such an effect. So help me Legionary, if she dies at any point... there will be blood.)

[Heidao]

Oh God I just realized, if Tabitha was Earth's Twilight, then the reason Sunset felt a connection with Jared, was because he's Flash...

Was- was Oskar the Donut Joe or Pinkie Pie version?

[ZeroOneInFinn]

8094033
Considering she has yet to use her 10000° plasma breath on anything in the human world, [as far as i remember].
Among the wide array of other toys in her "bag of tricks", the old guard's prospects are looking dimmer every second.

(Personally, if it ends up her facing up against Major Shepard in a dimly lit room, I'd love to see him warped in some way. Physically or mentally turned into a vegetable.)
>:)

[Legionary]

8093280 She may or may not also be overstating just how much control and influence her people had over the day to day affairs of the League of Nations. But considering what she is, it's to be expected

8093313 ?

8093376 If you think that's impressive you should check out Vimesenthusiast. One time he updated a story with a 80K word chapter and he has multiple stories with very high word counts.

8093593 Quite the turn around compared to the last time she saved the day huh?

8094815 s7.postimg.org/uc6zlqoqz/Response_pic.png

Wish I knew the proper source for the image I made that pic from

[More Dakka]

8095175 Ah. Well in that case that's one more way the Eldeer are similar to the Eldar.

8093899 Emerald almost killed Sophie for merely implying that hurting Twilight Navi and Spike could be more satisfying than hurting Emerald (which Emerald was letting her do at the time) and now that Emerald has revealed to Sophie how powerful she is her sheer basic pragmatism would dictate that Sophie must die because hurting Twilight and the others is the only real way she has left to hurt Emerald at all. So yea, unless Sophie forgives Emerald I'd say it's very likely that Emerald will kill Sophie.

[Witchery]

8095175 I thought you said it was the second to last chapter.

[Legionary]

8095332 Yeah it is

[Witchery]

8095348 Well I was wondering if there would be another Emerald Gleaner story after this. I thoroughly enjoy your writing.

[Legionary]

8095384 well ask yourself this, if the series ended next chapter would it be possible for me to tie up every plot line in a satisfying fashion then and there?