Alicorn, standing outside her Commander's office, takes a deep breath and fixes her dress. She knocks on the door and enters the office.

  "You wanted to see me, Commander?" Alicorn calls out, but spots Yorktown behind the desk instead of Silicia. "Mother?"

  "Alicorn." Yorktown gives a smile. "Come in."

  Alicorn closes the door behind her and calmly walks over to the desk, and stands in front of it. "Mother, what are you doing here, I thought Commander Sicilia was here."

  "She's currently preparing for a Bck Ops mission, Operation Clockwork. So I'm acting Commander while she's away." Yorktown suddenly moves out from behind the desk, revealing she's in an electric wheelchair, which worries Alicorn.

  "Mama..." Alicorn mutters.

  Yorktown keeps smiling. "Don't worry, sweetheart. I'm fine, there have just been some new complications. But that's not important."

  "If... you say so..." Alicorn grips her hand behind her back. "But why is the Commander on a mission, I thought she wasn't skilled and calm enough to take on Bck Op?"

  Baxterbro

  Yorktown chuckles as she wheels off to the side and looks at a photo on a desk. It's an older photo of Sicilia and Yorktown. "What most don't know is that Alice used to be a part of a Bck Ops unit, made of some of the best soldiers Eagle Union had to offer. But in the te 30s she was given the job of Eagle Unions Commander after our st one perished in battle."

  Alicorn looks at her mother in confusion. "Commander Sicilia, used to be an elite soldier? But she's so... skittish. And she told me that she joined right out of Navy Boot camp!"

  Yorktown turns her chair to Alicorn. "That's just a fabricated story made by the government." Yorktown pulls out a photo and shows it to her daughter.

  It's a rather old bck and white photo. But it shows a younger Silica with a torn up military uniform and dirt all over her. Major Freya is next to Silica with an arm around the Commnder's shoulders. Freya is smiling as she gives a peace sign. A bandanna is tied around her head. There's another girl next to them, one with short hair and a serious look, but a pair of tinted gsses hides her eyes.

  Alicorn looks at the new girl. "Who's this next to them?"

  Yorktown drives herself behind her desk. "Their old unit commander. She died a long time ago, botched mission."

  Alicorn sets the photo on the desk. "So does that mean the cowardice and stuttering is just an act."

  Yorktown smiles. "Not really, Alice is just a generally anxious person. She's nervous about having the responsibility of running this base and all the ships in it. But trust me when I say this, Alice Silica is a very dangerous person when she needs to be."

  Alicorn slightly looks at her mother with skepticism. "If you say so, Mother. But now, I would like to know why I was called here."

  Yorktown nods and rests her elbows on the desk as she leans onto her hands. "Tomorrow after noon we are running a rge supply operation to Vdivostok, Norther Parliament."

  "A supply operation?"

  "Northern Parliament needs weapons, ammunition, food, clothing and medicine very badly. And Vdivostok is the st port that they control." Yorktown grows serious. "Alicorn, if they don't get these supplies... Northern Parliament may very well fall."

  Alicorn nods in confirmation. "Alright, so what's the mission."

  "We're sending three ships and one sub with the cargo ships. While you-" Yorktown points at Alicorn. "Will be our QRF, along with a few others, In case somethings happens. The reason why I'm nothing having you with the escort, is because I don't want to draw attention to it. This is a very low profile mission, so we need to keep everything under wraps."

  Alicorn nods. "Yes, ma'am." Alicorn then notices a folder titled 'Project Hephaestus'.

  "That will be all, Alicorn." Yorktown calls out.

  Alicorn shakes her head slightly and nods to her mother. "Good bye then mother, I will prepare for the operation."

  Yorktown nods as she watches Alicorn leave the room. Then her eyes gnce down towards the folder.

  Baxterbro

  Yorktown stares at the Project Hephaestus folder for a few seconds. Then she picks it up and continues to stare at it in her hands. She goes to open, but stops.

  Yorktown sighs and opens up a drawer and drops the folder in, smming the desk shut.

  .

  .

  Alicorn looks down both ends of the hallway, spotting no one, she enters her room and shuts the door and locks it. She walks over to the blinds, spotting her robotic bird Avis, outside. She smiles and as the bird calls out to her, she makes a shooing motion and the bird flies off.

  Alicorn closes the blinds and stands still for a few moments as she grips the blinds. "Stop stalling, Alicorn... You can do this."

  Alicorn calms her nerves and walks towards the center of the room. She plops herself down onto the floor and takes a deep breath.

  "Now... how do I do this?"

  Alicorn takes her cube out from her chest. Its blue-ish bck color glowing in the darkness of her room. Its singur blue shard is glowing brightly. Alicorn closes her eyes and focuses on the cube, then a cracking sound rings out and pain shoots through Alicorn, then nothing.

  Baxterbro

  Then the sound of soft murmuring and the sounds of the depths of the ocean reach Alicorn's ears. Alicorn opens her eyes and finds herself in a rge living room, but with furniture destroyed and scattered around. Large scorch marks on the walls and with dents and holes.

  Alicorn notices several photos on the ground, and she notices they all have Alicorn in them, but she's mostly burned away. She notices a nearby window and walks over to it, making her eyes widen.

  Beyond the window is a massive underwater city. Spanning miles and miles, yellow lights everywhere and it's full of life. Suddenly several Humanoid Sirens swim past the window, causing Alicorn to stumble back, but that's when she notices she's mostly transparent.

  "What the..." Alicorn looks herself over, seeing herself slightly glowing as she sticks a hand through her transparent arm. "This is uncomfortable."

  Soft mumbling and whispers reach Alicorn's ears again and she looks off to the side, seeing a sight that makes her heart tremble.

  In a dark corner of the room is Purifier, curled into a ball and rocking back and forth with her back towards Alicorn. There's are open gashes on her back and burn marks on her neck, yellow blood drips onto the floor below her.

  "They will... Don't... please..." Purifier's scared ramblings echo around the dark room.

  "Onee-Chan?" Alicorn calls out, making Purifier freeze and tense up. Alicorn takes a couple steps towards her 'Sister' "You okay?"

  Purifier slowly turns around, dark bags under her yellow eyes and a slightly look of fear. "Go- Go away! They will punish me again if I talk about you." She grabs the sides of her head. "Just stay out of my head! GO AWAY!"

  Alicorn takes a few steps closer to Purifier. "What did they do to you?"

  "We have no need for useless Sirens." Purifier stares at the ground as sweat falls from her head. A sadistic smile forms on her face. "We purge the weak so the strong survive! I must be strong so I can live! I-I-I can't fail again, they'll repce me, just like they did before!"

  Alicorn kneels down to Purifier. "Hey, Onee-Chan, it's alright."

  "NO!" Purifier swipes a hand at Alicorn, only for it to pass through her. "Go away! Go AWAY! I don't want to go to the Dry Room again, so go away!"

  "What about Equus?"

  "She hates everyone, only likes the Empress. She's so strong, and killed millions of Kasens. Lived through many timelines, she's just too powerful. Everyone listens to her, but she doesn't like me." Purifier starts to shake. "She likes to torture those who are weak. She likes to hurt me! She wants to hurt Alicorn, she knows how... She'll hurt you badly."

  "Why not side with me." Alicorn states, making Purifier look up to her. "If we work together, we can take her down easily. You want to be with you're Imouto, right?"

  "Imouto... Imouto... Yes, but... Equus will purge the current timeline, like she has with all the others. She's too strong, no one can stand up to her. Then she will kill me and remake me again, I'll lose all my memories of you again. NO! NO!" Purifier bakes away from Alicorn. "They will take everything! So I must hurt you, yes yes, hurt you and Equus and Observer will not hurt me and take away precious things."

  "Onee-Chan... what happened to you..." Alicorn mutters as she looks at the pitiful Purifier.

  "Sirens are strong, the weak ones die. Our numbers are vast, but our world is dying, purge and take from the timelines. Listen to orders and everything will be fine!" Purifier rambles nonsense. "New timeline is ready to be made, more resources with each new one."

  Alicorn sighs and stands up. "Onee-Chan, side with me and you can finally have what you want. You're Imouto, your precious Imouto. I will protect you from Equus, and all the others. Just come with me, help me save my family."

  Purifier gnces at Alicorn, before hiding behind her knees. "Sirens are strong, we purge the weak. Equus is strong, and if I'm weak, she'll kill me. Siding with the Kansens is weak, as they embody weakness, Sirens embody Strength. Yes, yes, I am not weak, I am strong!"

  Purifier ramblings start to become intelligible and Alicorn just shakes her head.

  "Just... think about it Onee-Chan. Your dear Imouto will always be there for you. No matter what..." Alicorn notices she's starting to fade away. "Please, Purifier, Sister, Onee-Chan. Side with me and I'll be with you forever, as I love you."

  Alicorn disappears leaving behind a pitiful Purifier. "...Love? Love? Yes.... Imouto is mine...."

  .

  .

  Alicorn groans as she opens her eyes as her vision is blurry. She coughs a couple times and groans as her vision clears up, showing her cube sealing up several cracks.

  Alicorn lets out a breath and slowly stands up as her cube flies into her chest. She wipes sweat from her forehead and grunts. "Damn, that was weird...." She cracks her back and looks at the time, noticing it's been a few hours since she entered her room.

  "...I should shower and get ready for the prepare for the Operation."

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  07-27-2024

  1721 words