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XCOM: Ranger

by Wanderer D

Chapter 30: Chapter 30: Parallels

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Ranger

Chapter 30: Parallels

By Wanderer D

Rainbow Dash had managed to land the Skyranger in the tiniest space Sunset had ever seen. All around them, tall trees rose high above their transport, their tips lost in the darkness of the night.

They couldn't see that many stars, close as they were to the city, of course. They could see the glow of New Appaloosa far away at the edge of the forest. They were supposed to meet Apple Bloom here, but the Engineer hadn't arrived yet.

"It could be anything, really," Dash said, pacing around. "The roads are old… aliens never really did get into the National Park thing. She's probably just being careful."

"You're not taking off your helmet?" Jane asked. "We've been here for fifteen minutes already."

"No, I can't."

"Is it because you know her?" Sunset asked.

"...I just don't want to… you know, I don't think she ever really knew what—I-I… look, it's complicated, okay?"

"Heads up," Jane said from the top of the Skyranger, where she was looking down the vegetation-ridden road with her binoculars. "Someone's coming. Civilian vehicle."

Sunset stood up. "I thought she'd be driving an ADVENT van?" She prepped her shotgun.

Jane slid down the side of the Skryanger, grabbing onto the handholds designed for engineers to check on it and lowered herself to the ground, flanking Sunset and aiming her gun at the entrance to the small valley. Rainbow Dash herself took cover at the top of the ramp, ready to shoot and take off if anything went wrong.

They watched the vehicle slow down between the trees and a figure step out.

"Seems to be alone," Sunset whispered.

"I didn't see any other vehicles," Jane confirmed.

The figure made its way through the trees, finally emerging right in front of the Skyranger, revealing a woman, wearing jeans, a t-shirt, an ADVENT cap and a brown jacket. She walked up to the base of the ramp and looked up, mouth open in awe. "Oh, wow! That's so cool!"

"Hands where I can see them!" Sunset shouted, emerging from her hiding place and making the woman jump in place.

"Don't shoot!" the woman said, voice high. "I'm on your side!"

"Who the hell are you?!" Jane asked, emerging from the other side, making the woman spin around wildly, hands in the air. "You are not our contact!"

"I was sent here!" the woman said nervously, looking from Sunset to Jane, unable to decide who to look at in the eye. "My name is Scootaloo! Apple Bloom couldn't get out of the installation tonight because the manager wanted a report so she sent me!"

"Likely story," Jane muttered. "For all we know Apple Bloom is dead and you're an infiltrator."

"I would never—"

"Great, months of work... for this," Sunset muttered. "I'm sorry miss, but even if you're legit, we don't actually know you and our agreement was w—"

"You can trust her."

All three stopped and looked up the ramp, where Dash was standing and looking down at them.

"What?" Sunset asked.

"You can't be serious," Jane said. "We have very specific guidelines…"

"Dash?" Scootaloo asked weakly. "Is… that really you?"

As she walked down the ramp and walking up until she was in front of her, Rainbow Dash took her helmet off, smiling at the younger woman. "Hey, squirt. Long time."

She didn't even see the uppercut coming.

The trees passed by them as the car made its bumpy way down the road, slowly, so that Scootaloo didn't need to turn on her headlights for now.

"ADVENT has been ramping up production of robot units lately," Scootaloo explained. "So all engineers are being asked to stay extra hours, and it's not like you can simply pretend you're sick now… because they'll send you to the clinic, and those guys there… those guys are bastards. They have zero sympathy and will report you immediately if your health is anything less than stellar, then it's a visit to the vats and in five minutes your cold is gone and you can work."

Sunset and Jane exchanged looks.

"Of course I guess I could pretend to be dead for a few years and come back as if nothing happened. Yeah, that could work, except that it's apparently a frequently-used form of tax evasion, or it was in any case, and then The Man gives it to you because you chose no to tell people that cared about you that you were still alive!"

She swerved around a tree and soon they were bumping a little less down a grassy hill.

"Sure, I guess it is okay to have to bypass alien security, guards, actual aliens and drive into the forest to find out you're alive after all this time, but, what can be done about that? Right? It's just a minor inconvenience."

"I… don't see how that relates to Apple Bloom's situation…" Sunset said uncomfortably.

"Of course you wouldn't," the woman said, glancing at her. "You're too young to understand this kind of thing!"

"I don't think—"

"The last time I saw Rainbow Dash, I was fourteen!" Scootaloo growled. "Fourteen! That was twenty years ago! I thought she was dead! We all thought she had died! Her and Applejack and Fluttershy an—"

"Fluttershy? Like the one in Angel's Hope?" Sunset asked.

Scootaloo slammed on the breaks. She dragged her hand down her face and glared at the two soldiers.

Sunset simply raised her hands in a placating gesture.

Scootaloo started driving again. "You have no idea what it's like to think someone you loved like a sister is dead for two decades and then suddenly she flies in and she's all chummy," Scootaloo said, pulling out of the grass and into an actual road. "It's downright insulting."

"Doesn't ADVENT have patrols in these areas?" Sunset asked, trying to divert the conversation. It hit uncomfortably close to home.

"They do, but New Appaloosa is a bit more lax with that stuff. We don't have a lot of big production going on, which makes it less of a target for your kind."

"Our kind?" Jane growled. "We're trying to save you people from the Elders."

"Yes. Take away our global health, stable economy, lack of hunger and poverty issues, secure jobs and bring back the wars, petty squabbles and politicians working for money rather than nation. I can't effing wait."

Sunset stole a glance at Scootaloo. "I'm guessing you're not pro-resistance?"

Scootaloo sniffed disdainfully. "Should I be? Why? I work in the development of new technologies for improved space travel, working on already advanced models brought by the Elders. Less piloting, sure, but still amazing. And you want me to drop that because you natives can't be bothered to just stop living in the swamps and join civilized society?"

"You really think that?" Jane asked, leaning forth and glaring at Scootaloo's back. "Then why are you helping us?"

"Because my friend is an idiot and agreed to help you find whatever it is you're looking for," Scootaloo said. "And I value loyalty over secrets."

Jane seemed about to say something else, but she clamped up and leaned back, looking away.

Scootaloo, looking over at her on the rearview mirror snorted. "Yeah, you know what I mean."

"You haven't seen what ADVENT does to people," Sunset said, looking out the window as fields gave way to lights and buildings. "How they storm out of the night and bombard encampments full of civilians, or send Chryssalids to butcher the innocent."

"So you say," Scootaloo said, taking a turn and slowing down for a light. "But I have seen what certain groups do, like XCOM. I've seen them destroy a whole block of the city to capture someone, or kill ADVENT officers to sow chaos."

They started moving again soon. "Whatever it is that Apple Bloom got herself into, I hope she gets out of it soon and we can return to our normal lives, in peace and yes, with the Elders."

"You were in Canterlot High, then," Sunset said slowly. "I was there… recently. I saw how your school was cut in half by an alien weapon that killed a lot of students. That was done by the same Elders you're defending."

Scootaloo didn't answer, and the rest of the trip went in silence.

They parked the car in the garage under the apartment, and went upstairs. Sunset had been in places like these before… mostly on the rooftops, or the alleys in between, while shooting down enemies. But, looking at it in a non-combat environment, it was kind of nice. It was bigger than she had thought it would be, and clearly designed for more than one person.

They followed Scootaloo into a large living room with a comfy couch and a large holographic screen showing an interview with The Speaker, where another woman—who was not Apple Bloom either—was on a communicator. Unlike Scootaloo, she was wearing a nice dress and her hair was long and carefully taken care of.

"Yes, yes," the woman said, smiling their way and waving at them. "Yes… his suit looks amazing, I'm looking at it right now. You outdid yourself, sis. Great job." She rolled her eyes. "I'm sure. Yes. Okay… sorry sis, we have guests tonight. No, they're not male. No! No vipers! Sis! Okay, I-fine, I love you too, bye."

The connection was disengaged and the woman turned off the screen.

"Sweetie Belle," Scootaloo said, motioning, "Sunset Shimmer and Jane Kelly. They're… Apple Bloom's friends."

"Oh, nice to meet you!" Sweetie Belle said. "I'm sorry I was on the phone, my sister called and well, she's hard to get off the line if she gets started."

Sunset shook her head, then tilted it a little. "Wait, I think I've seen you before… aren't you famous?"

Sweetie grinned. "Oh! A fan! Yes, I'm the host of 'Elders Today'! Which sounds like a show for old people, but it's actually about ADVENT's efforts to take supplies and medical assistance to the settlements in the wild!"

"You don't say?" Sunset glanced at Scootaloo, who shrugged.

"She gets her info from ADVENT sources."

"My hopes for this going smoothly are very… diminished," Sunset muttered.

"Why? You don't think the glorious Elders are doing enough for our undeserving race to be thankful for?" Sweetie asked, blinking innocently at Sunset. "But they are so, very kind and helpful and forgiving and nonviolent!"

It took Sunset a moment to catch on. Then she started laughing.

"What?" Jane asked. "What am I missing?"

"It seems your friend likes sarcasm almost as much as our Sweetie does," Scootaloo said with a shrug. "Beer? I feel like I could use one." She asked, putting her words into actions and opening the fridge, where Jane could see a whole bunch of them.

Jane glanced at Sunset and Sweetie, who were grinning and sitting down to chat. "Yeah, I could use one," she said.

Scootaloo grabbed one and got out of the way, going to sit over at the kitchen counter, while Jane rummaged through the options, finally settling for a "Berserker Flea" Red Ale. (It packs a bite!)

She sat next to Scootaloo, taking a sip and watching the older woman sip her beer. "Huh, Sectoid Sweat, huh?"

Scootaloo gave her a look. "What about it?"

Jane shrugged, waiting for Scootaloo to bring the bottle up to her lips and start drinking. "It's also Dash's favorite."

"I'm lost again…" Twilight sighed, looking to her right and left morosely. The hallways in the Avenger were frustratingly identical, and despite the time she had already spent in the ship, one wrong turn could spell a long, long trip around the place until she found someone who would direct her to her room.

With a heavy sigh, she chose a random direction and started walking, her boots making a dull sound with each step on the metallic floors. She eventually saw a light and an open door.

A bit more hopeful, she headed there and looked inside. "Ooh… it's the bar!" she said, mentally calculating her location in the ship, and smiling as she realized she knew the way back. Her smile faded when she noticed the person in the back.

Rainbow Dash sat in the corner table, away from the few other people in the bar. She looked miserable, and the number of empty bottles of beer in front of her was close to half a dozen.

Twilight bit her lip, but after a moment's hesitation, stood straighter and stepped in.

"Sorry, Twilight," the bartender-in-turn, an Engineer this time, called out. "You're still not old enough to drink."

"That's okay, John," Twilight said, smiling. "I'm not thirsty."

John nodded, following Twilight's look. He grimaced. "Alright, just… she was in a bad mood when she arrived."

"I still should check on her," Twilight said, walking over to the back while John shrugged and returned to cleaning up. The bar was practically empty except for the four of them, and once he was done, he'd be heading out too.

"Rainbow Dash?" Twilight ventured, standing next to the drinking pilot, who turned to glance up at her. She wasn't drunk, surprisingly enough, or if she was, it wasn't noticeable.

"Oh. Hey it's you. Twilight, right? Listen, no offense but, I'd rather be alone for now."

"I see that…" Twilight nodded. "But I thought I'd still offer an ear. You look really sad and I hate to see my friends like that."

Dash barked a laugh. "Friends, huh?" She motioned for Twilight to sit across her.

"Remember to turn off the lights!" John called out, walking out of the door. "Good night!"

Dash waited until Twilight had finished waving at him before speaking up again. "Y'know, I haven't figured you out yet. You came with Sunset, so… are you like, from the past? The future? Someone's daughter?"

"Well, I have a mother and a father," Twilight said. "As… most people do."

"Hehehe, I see what you did there."

Twilight smiled. "So what's going on?"

"I just… saw someone I didn't expect. This kid… well, she's now all grown up. She used to look up to me a long time ago and… well, she thought I was dead." Dash tilted her head, showing Twilight the bruise where Scootaloo's fist had connected. "She wasn't happy to see me. Or… she was, but not. You know what I mean."

Twilight grimaced.

"I would have contacted her before, but her best friend is my dead best friend's sister," Dash said softly. "I… couldn't even get the strength to tell Apple Bloom what happened to her sister. But… I just… Sunset and Jane were ready to give up the mission, and with how much is riding on it, I thought…" she trailed off.

"When she died… I thought I'd just, you know, cut myself off from all of that, so I wouldn't have to… face any of them. I heard what happened to Pinkie, and I hadn't seen Fluttershy and Rarity since school… it's a long time. But, I hated myself for never telling Apple Bloom what happened, her or her brother… I mean, they lost their sister! And I was her best friend!"

She looked away. "I managed to put that behind me for a while. Or… I managed to ignore the guilt for a while. I pretended they were dead too." She took a drink and cackled. "They weren't. Damned Crusaders were always tough."

Twilight chuckled. "Must've been all the tree-sap."

Dash laughed and nodded. "Yeah." Her smiled faded. "Wait… how did you know that?"

Realizing what she had done, Twilight's smile widened unconvincingly. "Um? What?"

"About the tree sap."

"Tree sap? I said… T's Sap. As in, ye olde butchered Englishe?"

"Twilight…"

"Um…"

"I put up with a lot… a LOT of unexplained crap. But you're not getting away from this one."

Twilight bit her lip, but then an idea crossed her mind. It was probably stupid. Desperate even. And Sunset would kill her.

"Can you… keep a secret?" she finally asked.

Dash rolled her eyes and pointed to the "Vigilo Confido" patch on her flight uniform. "I work for a secret organization."

"But everyone knows ab—"

"Twilight!"

"Fine!" Twilight winced. "Fine… just… give me a moment."

Dash watched as Twilight pulled out Sunset's diary, and opened it just past a bookmark. Twilight wrote something quick on it, and Dash gave her an unamused look, about to ask what the deal was when the book vibrated. She watched as Twilight read something, then, with a quick note back, she placed the diary in a clean spot on the table, facing Rainbow Dash.

"So… what is this?" Rainbow Dash asked. "Are we going to write poetry?"

Twilight shook her head as the book glowed and vibrated again. "No… look at the page, Rainbow Dash."

Rainbow Dash studied Twilight's face, licking her lips and gulping down. "What is this?"

"Just look at it… please?"

Rainbow Dash sighed and looked down, blinking as words appeared on the page.

Rainbow Dash? Is that you, sugarcube? I know this is weird… let me tell ya, it's weird for me too…

Dash looked up. "What is this?"

Twilight just tilted her head, and Dash looked down, not daring to breathe.

...and to be honest, I'm not sure this is a good idea, but Twilight said that you lost your Applejack and you're afraid to talk to Apple Bloom for me. Her. Goshdarnit, this is too confusing. Anyway, sugarcube. Take it from me, Applejack would want you to trust Apple Bloom and to take care of her. Especially if it's been a while and Granny is not there.

Big Mac might be an ol' softie, but Apple Bloom, she'll be happy to see y'all. I know it's not the same. I'm not your Applejack, but if she's anything like me, like you are so similar to Rainbow Dash here that Twilight had no problem recognizing y'all… then you can trust me, one hundred percent on this one: she'll still be sad I'm-she's gone, but she'll also be happy to have you.

Give her a chance.

Your friend,

-Applejack

o.0.o End Chapter 30 o.0.o

Next Chapter: Intermission: 20 Years Ago - Pt. 1 Estimated time remaining: 24 Hours, 31 Minutes
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