• Published 25th Jan 2018
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XCOM: Ranger - Wanderer D



Sunset Shimmer escapes Equestria... with unforeseen consequences.

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Chapter 126: Fortuity

Ranger

Chapter 126: Fortuity

By Wanderer D

The group tried to present as solid a team as they could, glaring at Discord and bracing themselves for whatever crazy stunt he might attempt to pull.

"Okay, Discord," Twilight said, stepping forth to confront the draconequus, "All of these vines appeared rather randomly and both Luna and Celestia are missing. Do you know anything about it?"

"Oh, Twilight, I'm disappointed," Discord said, smile fading away as he leaned back and waved his lion paw dismissively. "Here I was, possibly offering you whatever you wanted, and you have to ask the obvious question."

"We both know know that the chances of you not being involved somehow are slim," Twilight replied. "I just want to know what you do so I can help the princesses and Ponyville."

"Well!" Discord crossed his mismatched arms and turned around and away from them. "I must say! I feel insulted that you're accusing me of being responsible for this."

Twilight rolled her eyes. "Please. I'm not accusing you of anything, I'm asking you if you know what this is all about. You gave Celestia and Sunset a hoof, didn't you? Why do that and then turn your back on us? What do you get by not helping us this time?"

"Who?" Discord asked, looking genuinely confused. "I'm not sure what you're thinking about, Sparks, but I think I would remember helping Sunbutt, if I had." After a moment he shrugged and spiraled away. "Doesn't matter. I couldn't possibly take responsibility, officer." He spread his arms and grinned. "I'm reformed, don't you remember?"

"Just so we're clear, Discord," Twilight said—making a mental note to look into his apparent lack of knowledge of Sunset and Celestia's encounter—"I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt because I'm willing to go on a limb and believe you for now. If it turns out you were responsible for this at all—"

"You'll turn me back to stone, yadda-yadda."

"No."

"No?" Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie and Rarity echoed.

Discord himself looked surprised. "No stone prison? What are you planning Sparks? Something worse?"

"Discord, regardless of what we do, I want you to understand that if you lie to me, you lose any chance in the future to ever be trusted." Twilight looked at him in the eyes. "This," she motioned with her hoof, "...is a minor inconvenience. We'll probably just need to blast something and they'll go away. But the princesses are missing, and lives could be ruined by what's going on right now. If you know what's happening and you don't say anything it will be on you."

Discord scoffed. "There you go again, implying I'm responsible."

"Come on Twilight, he'll never change. He's as bad as any of the monsters we've fought!" Applejack said.

Discord bristled and turned to look at her, sneering as he prepared to make a remark, but Twilight beat him to it.

"Don't call him that!" she ordered, looking at her friends earnestly. "He's not a monster… yet… and he has a choice!"

"Now who takes things too lightly?" Sunset's voice echoed in Twilight's mind. "The Twilight Sparkle in my world would be freaked out by the idea of blood being spilled alone. Does "me" here really use Blood Magic? She's called "Bloody"? Runs around getting bloodbaths? What… kind of monster am I here?"

Twilight sighed, and looked at the floor for a moment before closing her eyes. She took a deep breath, and without looking up, she started speaking slowly. "Look, I recently had to… deal with someone that was turned into a monster. She's dead now… killed with her own weapon, spitting blood all over the place. I thought… I thought was getting through to her. I remember some of my history lessons… and I know that Sirens were considered enemies of ponykind, much like you, many centuries ago."

"I have been betrayed too many times to hold any pity for others. First by other seaponies, then cast out by Starswirl… when we came here, locals befriended us… and tried to take advantage of us! For hundreds of years we walked this Earth and humans back-stabbed us and each other!"

"When we talked… she was too far gone, transformed into a creature of nightmares… because whatever chance she wanted was denied to her… so she became what she hated… and yet I could almost feel some regret from what she was doing—"

"Twilight, you can't possibly be talking about Aria!" Alejandra interrupted, glaring angrily at the alicorn. "That-that monster killed our friends! She almost killed Sunset and the others!"

Twilight bit her lip. "I am!" She looked up at the others, turning her back to Discord. "She wasn't always a monster. You know how Annette used to feel about her. Do you think she was a monster then?"

Alejandra didn't reply, choosing to look away angrily.

"It wouldn't have fixed anything," Twilight admitted, looking at everyone. "But I like to think, that even a little part of her regretted becoming what she did!" She hit the ground with her hoof. "Because, even if it didn't fix things… even if it didn't bring back my friends or my mentor… at least there would be regret! A sense, a knowledge that she did wrong! That, on some level, she would have wished she could do something different… that not all monsters—or possible monsters—are without redemption or the capacity for good and love. Even if it's too late. Just... a light of hope."

"Sometimes, Sparkle, they are nothing but monsters," Tala said, hovering above the other mares. "I know you're not so naive as to think you can reform all those you encounter."

"No, I can't," Twilight said, turning to face an uncomfortable-looking Discord. "And I've changed a bit since I thought some were lost causes… but I can still hope that I was wrong about at least one of them." She walked forth and place a hoof on Discord's elbow. "And I hope he can prove me right in believing in him."

Discord looked perturbed. "I—I need…" He shook his head in frustration and pointed over his shoulder in annoyance. "Why don't you ask your friend, the zebra if she knows anything?" He suggested without much enthusiasm.

Twilight gave him a look and nodded, hurrying over to help Zecora, who had just managed to emerge from the vines surrounding the town, leaving Discord behind, gazing up thoughtfully at the moon and the sun, both in the sky.

o.0.o End Chapter 126 o.0.o

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