"What is the problem, Dr. Shen?"

Lily almost jumped when she noticed Luna had followed her. "The problem?" she whispered, looking around. "The problem is that song!"

Luna blinked. "I'm not sure I follow…"

Shen sighed, motioning for Luna to follow her. She glanced into the bar, noticing it was empty, then indicated that Luna should sit down at the table furthest from the entrance, which she closed behind them.

Shen grabbed a pair of beers and gave one to Luna, who looked at the bottle with some amusement, which was lost on the engineer, who simply sat down on the chair across.

They both took a drink, although Shen's chug went on considerably longer. When she finally put the beer down, she wheezed and took a deep breath.

"Feeling better?"

"Not really." However Shen didn't pick up the beer again, not letting it go either. "You see… that thing about the song… really freaked me out."

"I could tell." Luna shook her head. "Given the circumstances, I realize this might sound like I am making light of the situation, but you looked like you had seen a ghost."

Shen snorted. "Yeah. I can see how that could be… and who knows, maybe I have. It's just unreal." She shook her head. "Let me call Central. I'm not sure how serious this is. Maybe they know something I don't."

Two Years Ago

"So kid," Bradford said, stroking the flames and throwing more wood into the campfire before moving back to sit on the large boulder he had claimed as a seat. "What's the story, really?"

Sunset stopped cleaning the gun he'd given her, a fixed, jury-rigged rifle he had kept from the old X-COM days. "What do you mean?"

"What I mean is, I know we were slightly over our heads with that last mission…"

"Slightly? Seriously? It was a suicide mission across a whole bridge full of aliens and for what? Just to kill a bunch of mutons and find ourselves face to face with a stupidly powerful whatchamacallit. We're lucky to have made it out alive and Peacock pretty much swore off any future fights with us! I liked her! She's a damn good sniper!"

Bradford coughed. "It looked like some sort of Sectopod. Back in the day we killed them in droves."

"Right. Just like you once, single-handed knocked down an Ethereal and dragged it back to the lab in your secret base. I remember that story too."

Bradford glared at her. "Anyway, this is not about me, Sunset. I want to know how you knew how to fight like you did. I've never seen anything like it. Neither had Peacock or any of the others. Were you in the army when the invasion happened?"

"Bradford," Sunset groaned, "Do I look old enough for that?"

"Well… no."

"That's because I'm not! I told you, before I met you, I just… had training from different people. They trained me well."

"So not your parents?"

Sunset frowned. "I never knew my parents."

Bradford grimaced and sat back, about to apologize, but Sunset continued.

"I… was taken in by someone very special. I really wanted to call her mom… I really wanted to be adopted and be… her little princess." She snorted and shook her head. "Too bad she just wanted an apprentice."

"So, she taught you to fight?"

Sunset gave him a look. "No. She taught me politics. She taught me science. Math. Literature. History. She gave me everything except the one thing I wanted. And then I… I left. And I'm never going to be able to go back."

Bradford pressed his lips. "Dead?"

Sunset snorted. "Something like that. Anyway, I wanted a family, but I never got one. No mom. No dad. I learned to fight on my own, from people I met along the way. I'm still a rookie."

Bradford chuckled. "Yeah, but a damn good one."

"So what about you?"

Bradford blinked. "What about me?"

"Any family?"

"No. Never had the time. Or the interest."

Present Day

Bradford put down the picture of the team he and Sunset had gathered when they had initially left their Settlement to go hunt down the Avenger. Most of them had died, with only three surviving after a few weeks: Himself, Sunset and a plucky young sniper nicknamed Peacock.

The latter had left soon after, and Sunset and himself had continued on towards the coast. His aim was to make their way down to the Reapers and get Volk to help him cross to the old continent, where Shen was located.

Sunset looked so young there. Not innocent.. but less tired, less on edge. War had destroyed that. Thoroughly. War and Bradford.

He had pushed her. He had pushed her hard. Harder than any of the others they had travelled with. Harder than any rookie.

And it wasn't just because he thought she was Sunset's daughter. Or because he thought she was Sunset herself… no, he cared. He had allowed himself to care, and he had turned that into training, training, training.

No mission ignored. No rock left unturned.

Just like Princess Celestia, he had failed to see what she needed. What she still craved.

He couldn't help but compare himself to his alternate-dimension version. That Bradford had been strong enough to take her in. He had given her what she needed. A parent. Family. Stability.

Could he have done that? If he hadn't been drunk off his ass. If he had managed some sort of stability… if he had been brave enough, how would things be? Would he have been able to take her in not as a future commander, but as a daughter? Would she have still found her way into the Blood Magic, or would that have been quelled by his actions?

If he ever made it to that other universe, where his other self had not only adopted her, but apparently managed to curve her anger into something positive… would he be able to face himself?

Was it even fair? The other him had… well, he had it easy. No real threats so far, the world in one piece. Much more resources…

Bradford snorted. He knew what would happen if he met his other self.

He would be pummeled for allowing that to happen to Sunset. Daughter or not. He had taken her under his wing, and failed to see the spiral she had set herself up for.

He glanced at the trunk next to his bed, where the bottle of rum waited. Maybe a little…

Just as he was about to stand up, his communicator beeped. He groaned, but looked at it.
"Shen?"

"Central, I'm with Princess Luna at the Bar. There's something we need to discuss."

Bradford let out a long breath and pushed himself up. "I'm on my way."

Maybe a beer or two would help.