Chapter 135: Prophecy
Ranger
Chapter 135: Prophecy
By Wanderer D
Laetitia sat alone in Lover's Aft. Legs crossed, hands resting on her knees, back straight, eyes closed.
She took a deep breath.
"Laetitia."
The world was gone: the wind, the cold, the metal, the ground and clouds... all but a distant, passing dream. What remained were the stars, stretching into the infinite of white lights in a blanket of darkness.
Floating in the starfield, Laetitia slowly straightened out as the air shimmered and warped, flowing into the shape of the alicorn Luna.
"I am sorry for disappearing while you needed me," Luna said, closing her eyes and lowering her head in shame. "I was attacked and unprepared, and my overconfidence could have cost you your life."
Laetitia smiled gently and nodded slightly. "It is all good, my friend. I survived, and the mission was successful."
Luna shook her head. "This has cost you far more than I anticipated. You must rest… at your current power, a battle could completely overwhelm you and my magic would take over completely and inexorably. For the magic to work as it should, we must find balance, and it will not be in the battle field."
Luna turned, and Laetitia followed her gaze. In the distance, a threatening light pulsed, dispersing the darkness and stars with a haze of purple like miasma; it exuded danger, and a sense of imminent threat.
"You will face a deadly opponent. You must be ready." Luna grimaced, taking half a step in the direction of the light, then shaking her head. "Nay. To early to draw his attention."
"I know him." Laetitia stood next to the princess, allowing herself to rest a hand on the alicorn's neck.
Their relationship now was that of friends, even if at first it had been awkward. She was intimately familiar with Luna's thoughts and feelings, just as Luna was intimately familiar with her own. As much as they were individuals, she was almost… almost an extension of Luna now. Almost.
"He is powerful… he's killed many of my brothers and sisters, and he has turned his will towards us, now that the Assassin is dead."
"It is a fearful creature," Luna said, "In terms of power. But you are not alone. When you face him, if you are strong, if the others are with you… we will prevail."
Laetitia couldn't tell why she noticed. But something was bothering Luna. Unsaid words hovered like an aura of intent, but the princess was not sharing her thoughts. Her eyes were fixed on the light, and for the first time since she had bonded, Laetitia felt a tinge of fear.
"I am not going to make it, am I?"
Luna tilted her head, glancing at her partner with some hesitancy. Her lips were twisted in a sort of apologetic grimace, as her eyes studied her. Luna blinked, looking away and swallowing. "No."
She had almost allowed herself to dream, before the last battle. Despite all common sense, she had felt her heart's hope growing, that she would be able to remain by Sunset. See her become the leader she was meant to be. Carry her banner.
Perhaps even… receive her love back. Laetitia closed her eyes, as if that would stop the stab of disappointment. It didn't. One day soon, she would be gone, and the world would continue. The war would continue. Everyone else would continue.
"You'll be in my heart." Luna's whisper was a balm. "I know you now, better than anypony. I am changed by your words and touch and fears."
Laetitia smiled and looked at Luna. The alicorn was having a hard time holding in her emotions. "I will always remember you… mon ami."
The Templar laughed and hugged Luna, feeling her wings wrap around her. "Thank you. But I am not gone yet. There is plenty to do before we face him."
"Yes," Luna agreed. "I have much to tell you, and also a memory to share, of the Skirmisher Tala, and her new appearance."
Behind her, Laetitia could feel the distant presence of the Warlock. Of fate.
And yet, she found Tala hilarious.
Sunset studied the first of the four metal panels, tracing the designs with her fingers, her mind making a mental image of the intricacies of the spell she would have to cast. It wasn't beyond her, of course, and she had seen the finalized three-dimensional hologram of the thing, but it still was… sort of tradition.
Were she a unicorn, her telepathic embrace of each part would have come with additional sensory information, providing her with what her fingers were already telling her. The science team and engineers were waiting for her to finish her inspection.
Granted, none of them were expecting any changes, and for the most part she wasn't either. Unlike back home, where the silversmiths, goldsmiths, blacksmiths, carpenters or even leather workers would work by hoof and the designs could have discrepancies, the alien-improved machinery Lily used was exact to a ridiculous level of near flawlessness.
But…. and there was always one, Sunset was not a machine, and every single thing, and act in magic was as much part as of the caster, as the magic feeding it as the result of the spell.
Twilight's designs were fantastic, and for the most part, Sunset was nothing but impressed. And yet, she felt as if something was missing.
Her thoughts went back to the blast. Her magic (and Twilight's) had pulverized the minds of aliens that had tried to use psionic powers on them. Except for the ones that Sunset had helped with her own theory. That included Laetitia and Geist.
Sunset bit her lip. Was that what was missing? But how to integrate it? She looked around. "Anyone here has a marker?"
"I do."
One of the scientists, a female, walked over to her. She had been with XCOM since the submarine, and Sunset knew her well enough. "Thank you, Estella."
The scientist nodded, watching curiously as Sunset worked. "What are you doing, exactly?"
Sunset blinked. "Um, well, how to explain? Here, give me your hand."
The other scientists, and Tygan looked in curiously, the latter taking out his pad to take notes.
She took Estella's hand in her own. "Now, close your eyes." Slowly, after the scientist had closed her eyes, Sunset held her hand against the metal, and traced the contours. "What you're feeling is of course what was created by Twilight. We call this a matrix, it is the structural backbone of our sp-thaumic construct. As you touch it, you can tell that there are no hard stops, or breaks, correct?"
Estella nodded as Sunset let her hand go. "Yes, it flows naturally from one indentation to another. Are the larger designs the parts of the matrix that initiate the whole process?"
Sunset smiled. She almost regretted not being part of the science team for a moment. "Almost, but not quite." She started drawing as she talked, marking lines that carefully went through each indentation, slowly working her way through the first wall, then starting on the next one.
"The larger designs, overlapping and wide, provide the elemental influence into the matrix. It's not just fire, water, ice and wind, of course."
"Of course."
"But a combination of the main six elemental forces, in larger or smaller degree, will balance out the energy influx that we need. They provide power, in other words, once the initial spark is added."
"The second level of designs," Sunset continued, just as she finished her own additions to the elemental influence, "is the form of the sp-sorry, the thaumic construct. This, being a three-dimensional design, is a bit tricky to explain, as the form is actually the beginning of the fourth-dimensional level of the construct."
She motioned with her head for Estella to join her as she kept designing. "See the design that I'm doing? It adds an additional level… that fourth dimension… to what Twilight designed. Because we're not trying to just contain everything, but also make sure that it won't affect anyone…
"I am accounting for the space-time displacement of thaumic vs psychic wavelengths. They're usually contradictory, but there is a way to have the waves not… crash, so to speak. What I am adding will have the effect of stopping the blunt force of a sudden activation from completely overwhelming the psychic field around it."
"I see…" Estella said a bit hesitantly. "And as a fourth dimensional addition, the method you're using is also reflective of it as it overlaps with the physical design, but more as a symbolic aspect?"
Sunset stopped and looked at her. "Estella… that's… it takes years for some uni-for a lot of those that have studied this science to even catch on that. I'm… very impressed."
"I'm more than just a pretty smile, Sunset."
"That you are." Sunset grinned and continued, a bit more comfortable explaining the concepts. "The last part of the matrix design is the class. In layman's terms, it's just the expected result of the spell. But it is more tricky than just that. Let me finish here."
Tracing the final designs carefully and visualizing everything as Tygan scanned the new additions to add to the 3-D dummy, she slowly stepped back from all the parts.
"Now, Estella… look at what I added, I think it's a little more clear with the marker than the colorless design."
Estella studied everything that Sunset had done, meticulously going over every line and comparing them to the ones Twilight had done, until she stood up, thoughtful.
"What did you notice?" Sunset asked.
"It… loops," Estella said, hesitantly. "The traces finalize leading into another, different Elemental source, which then flows into all the others that start the process… so essentially… it's a self-feeding design." She blinked, thinking back into the old history of science books that she had studied. "Ouroboros."
Sunset's grin was almost splitting her head. "Bravo! Yes! That's the basic version of this, but exactly that!"
"But won't that eventually end up with the energy being…" Estella trailed off, thoughtful.
"Yes?" Sunset smirked, knowing that her impromptu student would catch on.
"Except… that the final elemental influence, consumes itself and returns the energy to the elements… so the consuming part controls the waves that would otherwise displace the psionic field… but use that same energy absorption to refresh the original."
"Like a phoenix." Sunset nodded.
The older woman laughed. "I like this new field of science."
"I'm glad you do," Tygan said. "I am very impressed, Doctor Marilla." He turned to Sunset. "Perhaps, Captain, when you have the time, you'd be interested in giving some lectures to us on the subject?"
"Of course." Sunset then walked over to the base and the top of the box, taking out her knife and pricking her finger. Concentrating her energy, she fed it into the first drop of blood that she let fall straight into the lines she had painted.
She ignored the gasps of the people surrounding her as the base began to glow, a slow, pulsating red. She then repeated the process on the top, this time using her regular magic, which was much more exhausting.
The top started glowing a pale blue, and she sagged, nodding to the others.
Tygan nodded, then motioned for them to move back. They watched as the statue was carefully lifted by their machinery, and placed perfectly on the base of the design
The walls were then attached, each fitting exactly in their precise spot. As each wall was secured, it started glowing the same reddish light as the whole thing was slowly enveloped. Finally, the top was placed, carefully facing down to seal the whole matrix.
It was done.
Beside Sunset and Tygan, Estella couldn't help but smile, pleased not only at the praise but at the learning. She could already tell she would go very far.
o.0.o End Chapter 135 o.0.o
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Generator? Generator.
Is this supposed to be beside?
Good chapter, nice to see what's going on back at the Excavation site/Avenger.
I kinda want Sunset to, somehow, save Laetia. But this is XCOM, and death is a fundamental part of war
"The last past of the matrix design"
"The last part of the matrix design"?
"it's just the expected result of the spell"
I assume that that was deliberate on your part?
Forgot your quotation mark.
9017926 Beside, yes. :)
9017939 Fixed! And yes. Sunny gets excited talking about... ze magicks!
9017940 Fixed! Thank you!
My grandmother dealt uniquely with folks in her profession.
She dealt with those dying of terminal illnesses. And perhaps the most unique adage she ever put it towards.
"I'm not there for them. I'm there to help them pack for the next leg of where they are going."
When you have time, and the viewpoint of an outsider, but the small glimpses of what life they lived.
You can often help them pack well.
9017957
You're welcome. And :)
So now they have a Thum generator, now is it a basic part of it that lets them chrge the thumic batterys/granades or an upgrade, and will they upgrade it to suplament the Avengers power supplie?
9018050
That is a veiw point I'll gladly adopt.
Luna and Laetitia's reunion is as beautiful as it is sad. Though still able to have a little fun at Tala's expense.
Sunset is doing great work in the lab. As well as, though no surprise, Estella Marilla. AKA Starlight Glimmer
Shouldn't he refer to her as Captain?
Dr. Estella Marilla, the first human mage? Or should I call her Starlight Glimmer?
I like where this is going, still sad about the future demise of Laetitia. :(
Nice chapter love the fic.
They didn't forget to add a door to the magic cage, right?
9018227
That would fit, that would fit very well. If she can pioneer a school of runic magic usable by humans, XCOM will gain a deadly weapon in their war against Advent. Imagine the effects a rune-scribed sword would have on alien troops. Remember, they're all linked to the same psychic command network.
9018217 >Captain.
Fixed! I guess Tygan didn't get the memo?
As Celestia’s former student, I'd imagine there is a great deal Sunset can teach the XCOM scientists about thaumatic theory. I'm looking forward to see what her and Starlight can come up with.
Just, avoid equalizing and time magics.
9018540
You know, time magic would explain how Commander's Sunset knew all that she knew about pony Sunset.
9018383
It seems only the active psyker units are critically affected by magic. To interrupt the entire network I think you would have to strike the originating broadcaster of that signal or runically inscribe an active chip.
9018585
Well it doesn't need to affect the entire network, just disrupt the unit's connection to it. Some troops are much too durable to go down with the first strike, but cutting them off from their tactical command would certainly prove disruptive. Outside of verbal commands, advent troops seem to rely entirely on the psi network for coordination. Perhaps a runic psi jammer to disrupt local control? Would limit XCOM's ability to field their own psykers though...
Come to think of it, that would be a fine gift for the skirmishers; a kind of runic blackjack, tailored to scrap the control chip in advent troopers without doing any other damage. The possibilities are endless.
9019374
This is true and probably doable depending upon how in-depth they understand the network already. Did they already have plans for link disruption weapons already?
Hmm ... I have hope that this will be a Starlight story line that doesn't end it disaster ... and yet ...
on to that
I love Sunset getting nerdy over magical science so far. Also GimGlam seems to pick up on magic in the human world as quickly as she does back in Equestria.
Still, I feel sad for what Laetitia is going through, and while I hope that they can find some way to stop it, I would be happy if she can see the Warlock into an early grave before it happens.
Estellar is Starlight Glimmer i guess?
9018276
Years late but...
"Tygan. Where's the Door?"
11749181
For what's happening next, we don't need a door!
If some people or A.I. would be more reasonable and less trigger happy, than a lot more could be accomplished.
I doubt killing civilian population can be beneficial.
Unless Julian is trying to copy the refinary process?
Or wanting to take over a cloning facility and start his own organic support base?
11826349
He has been labotomized, it is reasonable to assume that one of the parts removed was the civilian categorization flag. How else would he do terrorism for "the Elders"?