Chapter 173: Ultimatum
Ranger
Chapter 173: Ultimatum
By Wanderer D
"Oh, I get it! So "clusterfuck" is when a lot of bad things just happen at the same time and create chaos!" Spike said. "So, does that mean Discord is the God of Clusterfucks?"
"Spike, that is really not a word I want you saying too much. Also, not exactly."
"Clusterfuck?" Spike asked, blinking owlishly, "But how will I learn the other world's slang if I don't know it?"
"Look, just don't use it—"
"But you taught me that language is a gift and it needs to be used!" Spike refuted, "Why would I censor a beautiful word like "clusterfuck"? It just rolls off the tongue."
"It is quite the clusterfuck now," Shining said.
"Shining!"
He grinned and Spike barked a laugh as well. "Sorry, Twilight, sorry, I know it's a bad word," the young dragon said, "I won't use it."
Twilight growled, but settled back onto her chair, pouting. "Mean."
"So, Celestia mentioned you wanted to talk to all the princesses?" Cadance asked.
Twilight nodded, "Yeah. And my friends after that… but I'd rather wait until Celestia and Luna are both here as well."
"They should be here soon," Cadance said, shrugging. "I thought I saw aunt Celestia going to aunt Luna's room. She's probably going to wake her up."
"That is correct," Celestia said, opening the door to the breakfast room with her magic and stepping in. Luna shuffled in behind her, eyelids drooping and stifling a yawn.
"Verily, training at the end of the night is invigorating and fun," Luna said, taking a seat across from Twilight and summoning some coffee. "Mayhaps I shouldn't have "hit the hay" soon after thinking I could waken by the time you were all here."
"If it's a short sleep, it's called a nap, auntie," Cadance provided.
"Indeed."
"So, Twilight," Celestia said once they had all sat down and pancakes had been served. "What is it that you wanted to discuss with us?"
"Isn't it obvious, sister?" Luna asked, nodding sleepily at Spike as he served her more coffee. "She's planning on going back."
There was a clatter as Spike almost dropped the tray he had been walking around the room with, before shakily settling it down on a table. "W-wait, you're not serious, are you?"
He turned to look at the gathered royalty. "Twilight just came back! She can't go back there, right? I mean, it's not her war. She can help from here, right?"
Celestia leveled a slightly annoyed look at Luna, before shaking her head and glancing at Twilight. "Is Luna right?"
Twilight gulped under the full attention of the others. "I-I do want to go back when the portal permits… I haven't studied it much since I arrived, but I need to—if it were to open and transfer somepony, it could really hurt people I know."
"It almost killed Laetitia," Luna mumbled, yawning. "It gave casual headaches to other humans on the Avenger. Any psionic on the ship would be in danger of a random activation."
Twilight's eyes narrowed. "Yes."
Celestia's eyes were wide. "Sister, perhaps you should rest after all."
"Nay, the commander needs our help," Luna said with another yawn. She blinked slowly, glancing at Twilight. "Carrie on, ma cherie."
"What is going on?" Twilight asked, voice low. "Have you been visiting the dreams of XCOM members again?"
'Yes, she has," Celestia said, shaking her head and glancing at Luna with disapproval.
"Okay, so the portal would kill the humans that have powers," Spike spoke up, interrupting Twilight, who had been about to speak. "How does that not make it better for her to stay?"
"I'd have to agree with Spike," Cadance said, turning heads to her. "If help from here can be given, why go back? Why endanger yourself and others?"
Twilight sighed. "You don't know the things they are fighting, Cadance. How bad it really is. They are fighting monsters. Literal monstrosities of flesh and metal that rip creatures apart, and some even use living people to inject them with venom and lay eggs!"
She slid off her chair and started pacing. "Aliens that shoot balls of acid that melt your friends! That drive them crazy and into killing themselves! They create new monsters and enslave entire cultures! They control people's minds and make them kill their friends and family! Then they modify them to fight for them, stripping them of everything that made them themselves!
"And you have regular people that are desperate to save others! To take their home back, and fight until they can't fight anymore! You don't know how it feels to know that at any time you could be killed. That even in the safest place—the Avenger—there is a chance to die by even an ally's hand!"
Spike suddenly gave her a desperate hug. "Please Twilight! Don't go back! You said it yourself! That place is a clusterfuck of death!"
The others watched in silence as Twilight gently pushed Spike back and paced back and forth across the room, anger and adrenaline surging through her, until she slowed down and sat again, wings drooping and a head low as she toyed with her food with her hoof. "Good people die there every day."
"Are you sure you don't want to consider other forms of assistance, Twilight?" Celestia asked. "Chrysalis' letters don't have any indication that you were expected back any time soon, if at all. She pretty much gave you freedom… she sent you home for a reason, and it wasn't only because it would provide her with a possible escape plan for a few allies."
"Although let's be honest, that doesn't hurt," Shining Armor said, reclining back on his seat.
"She let me go free," Twilight agreed, "and did so without any words of expecting me back, although she made it clear that Tala at least was on loan."
"Just Tala?" Cadance asked, a small smile on her lips.
Twilight mumbled something and took a drink of coffee. "A-anyway, she trusted me. She gave me a home. A purpose. Took chances with me… she let me study their technology, even if I was an alien too. She taught me how to fight. She gave me advice. She listened to me… she was there for me when my friends died."
She took a deep breath. "I can't just stay here and let someone like that face the horrors they face alone. Not when I have the option of doing something."
The others exchanged sour glances.
Twilight took a deep breath. "And the bottom line is… it's my choice, and I'm going back whether you all agree with me or not."
o.0.o End Chapter 173 o.0.o
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Seems only a short time ago that Twi was stuck there due to unavoidable circumstances... Best Princess has grown, hasn't she?
This chapter is such a clusterfuck!
And Sunset is going to try her absolute hardest, if she is told, to talk Twi out of it.
Doubt she wants her little sister anywhere near her right now.
On the flip side, Rainbow is going to be tough to talk down from going along with Twi I think. Only saying she can't as her double is already there might work, and if that's the case AJ might give it a shot.
Well, if you’re going back, why not bring an army and tons of supplies with you?
Supplies should be pretty easy to acquire for a Princess, and I’m sure that some Royal Guards would like to come as well if Princess Twilight Sparkle, savior of Equestria and Harmony, started recruiting an expeditionary force.
Oh, oh! Make a poster! Just put the words “Get a chance to earn Glory and Honor in actual fighting, help save a world from evil aliens!” along with a cool picture on it and everything will be all set. Oh, also, don’t forget to add a disclaimer on the bottom that says “Chances of death for background ponies are high, and those that survive may get traumatized. Don’t worry, it’s all covered by your insurance policy.” in tiny words.
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Yes, why not bring personnel and supplies, they could do with both in great quantities.
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Oh yeah, supplies too! I’m adding that to my comment.
"Clusterfuck" makes me giggle.
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I would love to see everyones reactions from having two Rainbows running around the Avenger
9208048
Isn't he the Beaver that always whistles through his teeth?
That's really, really stupid. Not her conviction or motivation, but the way she wants to help. Establish a better direct connection, find a protocol to open the portal and give them one of the best things a mobile resistance force could ever help for: a stable and absolutely safe permanent base that can give them an effectively endless supply of raw materials and fabrication capacity. Not to mention greatly improved equipment - can you say "magic armor"?
Getting some machinery through the portal should be quite possible if Twilight can cross it to recover her magic. Getting ponies to operate it would be easier still. The amount of raw materials the avenger can consume us actually quite small compared to what a nation such as equestria can spare to such an effort, and the possibilities of magical integration with technology are endless, specially in the fabrication of gear and new materials. Maybe ponies can craft alien alloys or even better, maybe they can crack how to shoot anti psi bullets, maybe they can improve explosives with alchemy to levels humans can only dream of. And with Twilight's acute mind directing them, they can do so much more.
But that can only happen if she learns how to be a princess and to put the success of her friends before her need for self validation. Her goals are noble, but she needs to accept that a pony princess scientist can help more than a human one. Specially as there is no place quite as safe for critical research data as "another universe".
Also Tygan would finally get that stable place for his more delicate experiments, even if by proxy
Let's hope the princesses, the commander, Sunset and all her friends can convince her of that. It might not be the most dramatic thing for the story, add there'd be a conflict of interests in accepting alien help, but damn if it's not the best possible help she could give them in a fight that every little thing matters
9213455
I agree, except that the other princesses and Equestrian scientists can handle all those things, but a princess like Twilight is uniquely qualified to act as a liason from the other side with the authority to make decisions for the benefit of Equestria. They need somepony there if they're going to do more than send supplies. Anyone else would be a downgrade. Although, I suppose Luna is an option, but she already found a way to help from afar.
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All of my yes.
9213492
So, just like the old days of human diplomacy, when we didn't have the power of instant communication? A (royal) ambassador with carte blanche power to represent the interests of Equestria on occupied Earth?
Also, why doesn't Twilight start making the portal continually open? Granted, they'll need an on/off switch to keep the nasties out (or in), but that shouldn't be a problem.
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Cant, it was established in the chapters where Sunset switched places whit her self in the EQG vers that no duplicet can exicst it in the same univers. It would propably end whit a distrucktive resonans cascade effect like in SG-1 when they use the dimensional mirror.
I allso realise that this pokes a big hole in my theory about the creator of the alien rulers being Midnight Sparkle as Twilight was in Xcom for several month whit out harmfull effects.
Now we just need
noisemagic cancellation rings to mitigate the transfer bursts and here salvation comes!Twilight decision to go back might not be the best way to help Earth, but the good way.
And with soon the portal being open at will, there will always be a steady income of supply and an escape route.
9213615
Ah, but they are not duplicates, X-com Rainbow and pony Rainbow are two very different beings. Not least because of something like 10-20 years age difference. They've also lived fundamentally different lives, and are different species to boot.
On a mostly unrelated note, that's why Time Lords regenerate. (aside from dramatically increased lifespans) It's to ensure that when the habitual time-travelers run into themselves going the other way, they don't suffer this exact kind of paradox.
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I agree with Roe in that there is no reason they cant hang out as they are dimensional copies not time travel copies also with the EG section there was a Discord messing things around
I was thinking jokes about Firebrands new daughter.
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Ah, but Ro that is exatly why you get DRC. The duplicat from another univers is slitly of cilter and dosent harmonise corecktly whit the inivers version and the univers senses this and "moves" to correckt the "mistake" so to speak.
And Hound, yes it was Discord messing around, this would be fundamental meckanicks of the universes that even he ether cant or wont messaround whit, whitout suffering consequences.
As for the Firebrands daughter jokes? I'd be all for that.
9213747
Ahhh, can I get a quick rundown on "DRC"? I am not familiar with this concept. In any case, most forms of doppelganger-annihilation I am aware of stem from an inability to reconcile two identical beings (usually temporal twins) in the same relativistic paradigm. This generally becomes less of a problem the more the two beings diverge and become true individuals. As a classical example I would offer the Star Trek episode Mirror, Mirror as well as it's aggregate cannon.
As multiversal echoes, the two Rainbows share little more than a name and a fated connection with a similar set of friends. Sunset's problems were the result of being the same person, passing along two coexistent time streams. A meeting between the two would indeed be a problem, as it confronts the universe with the same thing happening in two different ways.
The universe doesn't like it when it opens Schrodinger's box and finds two cats. Bad things happen.
And also because, in the words of Abridged!Alexander Anderson
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DRC (as explaind to the best of my memory of SG-1) is a string theory side note in that as every univers vibrates at differant freqencys and as long as they are separate, but if you put the a being form one univers next to the same being from another univers and are simelar enough but one's frequency is slytly longer or shorter, it troughs of the "harmony" of the univers they are in and is those rejekted. Unless the "native" "tune" gos/becomes "silent" for what ever reason, then the duplicat becomes just another unic "tune" in the overall "harmony".
It should be stated that DRC is more of an uncany vally thing. The futher away the univers the travelar is from, the less risk of DRC their is as it could be that the travelar dosent exist to begin whit.
If the mirror allowd them to traval trough as ponys I for see no problems.
But in this case the mirror adapts the travelar to the new univers and the question becomes:
"How far dose the adaptation go?"
1. If it is a compleat adaptation, Schrodinger will find his cat out side the box and gos to see how it got out, but finds that the cat is still in the box and you get a time travelar meets himself paradox whitout the time traval.
2. If it is partial you most likely gets DRC.
I find #1 kinda hilarious.
I’m going to be 100% honest, I don’t care about any of the ships here. Except maybe my crack ship between Celestia and Bradford, if only cause of their parental roles with Sunny. This Twilight/Alejandra ship actually makes me uncomfortable however. I like them as friends, them depending on one another for support after their shared disaster is an amazing dynamic. But all this blushing and hinting at there being more is just rubbing me the wrong way.
9213817
How very interesting. I had not heard that concept before. It certainly applies a new perspective to eldritch horrors... In fact, it is an excellent explanation for the incompatibility of magic and psi.
In any case, knowing Starswirl's propensity for over-engineered safety measures, I'm sure a bit of harmonic "tuning" is included in his spellcraft. I foresee no issues so long as they use his portal.
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There is also a time period where the Cascade doesn't take effect. The Sam it happens to was from a world with only a few different choices made as the only real difference and she lasted a week or more.
Eqestria is massively different than the human world; so long as Rainbow keeps her, dampened, magic she should be able to go months, or even years, before it could become an issue with how different the two realities are from each other.
It's also possible, to crib from Star Trek, that the mirror alters the quantom signature of anyone/thing passing through it into that of the dimension on the other side. Ergo DRC can't happen as you now "belong" on the side you are in.
It's clusterfucked all over. I understand Twilight's reaction, they need everyone against ADVENT and the Elders. I can already tell she and Sunset will have a great part in taking them down
9214044
Oh joy, at least they don't use their doom cannon as their primary weapon anymore.
And then Fluttershy blows up at Twilight for wanting to do something as awful as go back to another world to kill some poor innocent evil aliens.
Since Twilight may be going back in the near future, it brings up some questions about the mirror. First, let's establish that only Twilight and Sunset have passed through the mirror both ways. Their altered forms also didn't match their counterparts, nor a human that's about the same age as their Equestrian selves. They both came through as teenagers. One theory is that the mirror uses the teenage template for everyone that passes through to Earth. That could have some implications for Tala and Silent G. Just imagine if Tala returned to Earth as her unmutated, human self. Likewise, the mirror could take 10+ years off of G's body. On the other hand, when Sunset went through the mirror to steal the Element, she returned unchanged, even after 3 years on Earth.
Another thing to note is names. So far, names like Chrysalis, Sunset Shimmer, and Rainbow Dash have been written off as just a Canterlot thing. These characters have a clear counterpart in Equestria. Then there are others who have picked up nicknames that match others from the other side, such as Ember and Galahad. Judging from their behaviors, I'm pretty sure the Galahads are counterparts, but it's unknown with the rest. Lastly, there's everyone else that just has normal names.
So what makes these groups different? In the case of those from Canterlot, they've been exposed to the portal for generations. Maybe that's affected their minds. To a lesser extent, there has been the recovery teams that brought the statue back. Exposure to an Equestrian, like Sunset, could also have made a difference.
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☝🏿
It smells of shipping for the sake of shipping above all else, TBH.
9214875 Not really? I really don't think about it too much, maybe most of the characters going through a lot of life events, opening up to each other, surviving crazy shit together, etc is the reason? I imagine if I had a wider male cast, it would be easier to ship them. But I also don't necessarily ship everyone. Jane, for example, is merely amused by Sunset attracting Angel and Laetitia. Twilight and Alejandra are complicated, but at no stage have they actually blatantly said they're interested in each other either. Whatever happens there it's not quite shipping yet. (If it'll ever be)
Still caught up!
Life on the Sharp End. If you've been there, no explanation is necessary. If you haven't, no explanation is possible.
I know exactly why Twilight wants to go back....
Well-portrayed. Bravo Zulu.
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I'm guessing that's a good thing for you...? If not, no worries, the MLP half of the crossover gets more involved a little later on.
If they can get the portal working reliably and nonlethally, I support the idea of Equestria lending more aid than one gun-toting alicorn. It doesn't even have to be soldiers. More researchers, engineers, and raw materials could prove just as valuable, if not more so. Even if Twilight thinks she'd do more good on the front lines than in the lab, Equestria has other fine minds to choose from.
“Mon Cher” is for males, it should be “ma chérie “ for Twilight.
9213189
That's not how you spell Celestia...
But I agree!
Thanks Luna. For making this easier, I guess
LUNA WAIT
Ah Cadance
She caught on, good I love it
I absolutely love it ♡
Raw material and something like Mana filled stones could be a great help for the Avangers Crew.
Earth will never be able to repay their survival after it is accomplished.
I honestly had hoped shed get some guard volunteers to go with her