Dark clouds hover in a dark blue sky as Alicorn paces back and fourth on the top of calm water. She has a hand on her chin as she mutters to herself.

  Baxterbro

  "She said all timelines are nearly the same..." Alicorn mutters as her eyes fsh a few times.

  Alicorn looks left. "That means she'd know our every move before we'd do it."

  Alicorn looks right, her eyes glitch a couple times. "But every timeline had to be slightly different, so she can't predict us."

  Alicorn looks left, her eyes going slightly dull. "The only thing she couldn't predict of us, is our Upgraded mode. But still, that might not be enough!"

  Alicorn looks right and her eyes then glow bright. "It gives us a chance then."

  Alicorn looks left and growls. "But she's fought nine other versions of us! The killed eight of them!"

  The sky above Alicorn grows darker as move clouds move in.

  Alicorn looks right. "But she didn't kill Meta Alicorn. That means there is a chance."

  Alicorn looks left. "A chance at what?! Watching everyone we love die, just like she did."

  "...."

  "Let's just face it, we're way out of our league. There's no chance of wining this..."

  Alicorn looks right and rubs her face. "We are the strongest ship to exist, we will win."

  Alicorn looks left and just grows confused. "Are you stupid, you damn bio-computer?! How would we win! She has ever advantage to ever exists!"

  Alicorn looks right and her face goes bnk. "Purifier." Her eyes then shine.

  "...What?"

  "We can use Purifier to win, it nearly worked for Meta Alicorn. She can help us guarantee our win..."

  Alicorn looks left and shakes her head. "That's it, we've gone crazy! I should just do a factory reset!"

  "Listen, remember back when we were in that tank a little over a year ago."

  "You mean when we were taken back to Nanquet Cay, and had Purifier's data transfer into us again?"

  Alicorn looks right and nods. "The few seconds we saw her with Papa, we felt a change remember?"

  Alicorn looks left and slowly nods. "You mean...?"

  Alicorn looks right and smirks. "We have a chance to change her to our side. She can help us."

  Alicorn looks left and shakes her head, her eyes glitching for a few seconds. "It won't work."

  "We can pnt a seed... A single thought can lead to the destruction of man. But a single thought can also lead it to harmony."

  Alicorn looks left and chuckles. "When did we become philosophical?"

  "We are getting older now, we're nothing like that child in Narquet Cay or the Siren that tried to end a war with unethical methods. We're now a ship trying to prevent a world from burning down."

  Alicorn looks left and sighs. "Times were so much simpler then... So much happier..."

  Both sides sigh in sadness.

  Footsteps echo in the distance. "You're over thinking, it's bad for your mind."

  The sky clears up and the sun shines brightly.

  Alicorn shakes her head and looks behind her to see Meta Alicorn. "I'm trying to calcute my odds of wining."

  Meta Alicorn shakes her head. "Don't, all your calcutions will lead to nothing but failure."

  "We- I know." Alicorn huffs.

  Meta Alicorn sighs, then flicks Alicorn on the head. "If you keep calcuting, you're gonna split your mind in two. So stop and listen."

  Alicorn gres at Meta Alicorn as she rubs her forehead. "What do you know?"

  Meta Alicorn just deadpans as her yellow eyes stare into yellow eyes. Then she motions to her self, aggressively.

  "Oh, right..."

  Meta Alicorn rolls her eyes. "Over calcution did get one of the other Alicorn's killed, so you need to be careful."

  Alicorn grows confused. "How did you know that."

  "I have ways of peering into the other timelines, how do you think I'm communicating with you?"

  "How did you accomplish that?"

  Purifier's rigging appears behind Meta Alicorn. "Fusing yourself with an actual Siren does have some benefits." She bets her Siren rigging. "But it does have some draw backs..." She turns back to Alicorn. "But you need to be prepared, once you wake up all hell will finally break lose."

  "What do you mean?"

  "Shit's been happening while you've been asleep. And that's gonna double once the most powerful ship awakens." Meta Alicorn gets right into Alicorn's face. "War Never Changes."

  Meta Alicorn snaps her fingers, and Alicorn falls back into the ocean and slowly starts to sink as her vision darkens.

  .

  .

  "Casualties are still being counted in Barsa, Iraq after the horrible tragedy that was set upon it st week."

  Alicorn opens her eyes and slowly looks around, her vision blurry. She sees someone sitting next to her watching a TV mounted on the wall at the end of the bed.

  "In other news, there is still no word from the Leader of Norther Parliament on the situation dealing with their missing Human Operated ships."

  Alicorn blinks a few times and looks to her right and sees an open window. The smell of salt and gas fills her nose.

  "The group going by the name Cordis Die have taken ownership of the attacks that have been happening all over Europe, Asia and the Middle East. And most of our World Leaders have still not taken action against this group."

  Alicorn tries to move, but a sharp pain shoots through her side and she grunts.

  "Alicorn?!" Yorktown's voice calls out and the TV's turned off.

  Alicorn turns back to her left and sees the worried face of her mother as her eyes clear up.

  "Momma?" Alicorn questions as she grows confused.

  Yorktown sighs in relief and swiftly brings her daughter into a hug. Alicorn grows more confused, until she remembers the Reunion.

  Yorktown pulls back from the hug and smiles at Alicorn. "It's so good to see you awake! You had me worried."

  "Mom, how long have I been asleep for?"

  Yorktown sighs. "Just a little over two weeks."

  Alicorn's slightly mechanical heart fills with dread. "Two weeks?! What happened while I was asleep?!" She tries to get off the bed.

  Yorktown stops her daughter from moving. "Sweety, calm down. A lot has happened, a lot of bad. But just calm down, and rest. We're still trying to figure out our next pn. But for now, there are some people who want to see you, I'll give them a call." She stands up and grabs a cane hanging off the side of the bed. "I gotta go and get some of the ships prepared for a cargo run... So please, just- just don't worry for a few minutes. Please."

  Alicorn takes a deep breath and pushes her dread away. "Yes, mom."

  Yorktown smiles as she pulls a phone out. "Thank you, I love you."

  "I love you too." Alicorn smiles.

  Yorktown smiles as she hobbles away and taps a few things on her phone. She leaves the room as she gets on a call with someone.

  Alicorn takes another deep breath and brings a hand up to her chest, and feels her heart beating rapidly.

  "War Never changes."

  Alicorn looks out the window to her right, and sees the dark and cloudy skies above the base. "It truly doesn't."

  Alicorn closes her eyes as the sounds of machinery and ships cut the silence of the room.

  After a few minutes the door opens up and Alicorn opens her yellow eyes. She gnces over to the door and spots two maids enter. Her two maids, Sheffield and Edinburgh. Sheffield's eyes hold tiredness as deep bags rest under them.

  The two maids look over to Alicorn and they both sigh in relief and swiftly make their way over. With Edinburgh throwing herself onto Alicorn and bringing her into a hug.

  "Miss Alicorn, we're so gd you're okay!" Tears fill Edinburgh's eyes. "We were so worried!"

  "I'm sorry." Alicorn brings her hands around Edinburgh, even as pain fres up from her left side. "I'm so sorry."

  Alicorn gnces at Sheffield, who hasn't made a noise this entire time. Tears fall from Sheffield's eyes as her face scrunches up in sadness.

  "Sheffield?" Alicorn calls out.

  "I... I thought you we-were gonna die!" Sheffield cries, she wipes a few tears away, but they keep coming. "But when they brought you back, you just didn't wake up. I-I haven't slept in two weeks because I've been so worried!"

  Guilt fills Alicorn's cube and heart. "I-I'm so sorry, Sheffy. I didn't think about you or Edin's feelings when I went after the attackers. I was just so... Angry about Unicorn and Hornet's injuries that I just lost all sensible thoughts." She looks at Sheffield with sadness in her eyes. "Can you forgive me?"

  Edinburgh hugs Alicorn tighter as she buries her head into Alicorn's chest. Sheffield swiftly walks over and hugs Alicorn's head to her chest and buries her face into her Ashen hair.

  "Just as long as you promise not to do it again, at least not by yourself." Sheffield whispers.

  Alicorn just nods and the three remain in silence.

  A robotic screech echoes n the distance.

  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  02-02-2023

  1500 words

  (Was gonna have this chapter be much longer, but I decided to split it up. Just so I can have more chapters in this arc.)