Archeologist Anon- 4 Epilogue?

>The three of you have been lying in the snow for quite some time.
>Mainly you are just enjoying your last moments with Dash.
>Before the cold overtakes all three of you, and you die freezing thousands of miles away from home.
>Buy hey, you got the girl! It can’t be all that bad.
“It really is beautiful.”
>RD: “Yeah, the stars are just so. Peaceful.”
“I was talking about you.”
>SS: “Awww.”
>RD: “In any other circumstance I would tell you to knock it off. But seeing as how this is going to be my only chance to hear things like that, continue.”
“Maybe not.”
>RD: “What do you mean?”
>You grab her hand and point it to a particularly bright constellation in the sky.
>And you trace her hand following it as it moves through the sky.
>Towards you.
>When the rotors become audible, you feel her move away from you.
>The two of you start to stand up, and she hands you a flare.
>Popping it, you feel something you haven’t felt for quite a while.
>Hope.
>Three choppers hover above you as a fourth lands.
>But something’s wrong.
>these are all military helicopters.
>From the grounded chopper, four men in hazmat suits scramble on to the snow, then point guns at you.
>?: “Put down the flares, and put your hands above your heads! If you do not comply the choppers will open fire with high explosive rounds.”
>The three of you do as told.
>?: “Alright, tranq ‘em.”
>Wait what?
>A soldier shoots at you, and a large needle is sticking out of your stomach.
>You fall to the ground next to Rainbow and Sunset.
>before you fade out you hear.
>?: “Alright, let’s get these back to McMurdo for Quarantine.”
>You attempt to say how you’re not infected, instead what comes out is:
“Uhhhng.”
>Black.

>Uggh.
>Do you have a hangover?
>No this is worse.
>You remember…
>They shot you!
>You open your eyes to find Twilight looking down at you.
>TS: “Relax Doctor. You’re at a medical facility in McMurdo.”
“So you were never…”
>TS: “No Anon, I was never infected. But, I did go through what you have just been through. You see, once I knew the nature of the parasite, I deemed it too dangerous to risk getting out of the base.”
“Then why did you leave?”
>TS: “Because on the snowmobile I had stashed, there was an emergency radio beacon. I set it to activate under medical emergency, so that a full quarantine procedure would be activated. I sat in an isolation chamber for a day before they accepted that there was nothing wrong with me. Then under my recommendation, they just put you three in normal medical accommodations, the parasite was easy to detect on a cellular level, and congratulations: You, Rainbow, and Sunset are all clean.”
“So it’s over?”
>TS: “Yes Anon, it’s over, helicopters are pouring the wreckage of the base with acid as we speak.”
“Everyone else… they didn’t make it.”
>TS: “Yes Anon, I know. I personally am going to visit their next of kin to offer some closure. Right now you need to rest; the tranquilizer should be wearing off soon.”
>With that, Twilight leaves.
>You look to your right and see Sunset sleeping in another bed, hooked up similarly to you.
>To your left, lies Rainbow Dash sleeping in her own bed.
>Her own bed.
>Hopefully you can rectify that soon.
>Until then you drift off to sleep.

>Amazingly you did not have nightmares of the horrors you have just gone through.
>Whether you will or will not be plagued with dreams of the Antarctic Hell remains to be seen.
>You wonder how the other survivors are taking it.
>Sunset always was easy to scare; she must be terrified from the whole ordeal.
>You don’t think that Twilight would be afraid per say, but she was in charge of the base. The deaths down there have got to be weighing on her.
>Rainbow didn’t seem to indicate that she was particularly shaken up, but just be trying to hide it.
>You, well the thing that got to you, wasn’t the abomination of grotesque deformations of flesh that the parasite created.
>And while you mourn the deaths of the team, particularly Ray and Fields, something gnaws at you more.
>The idea that it could so perfectly imitate the people it infected. It would kill your soul, and then use your body as a tool to do the same to others.
>You draw some comfort in that Fields shot himself before being taken.
>No one deserved to die by losing everything that makes them a human being.
>After you have been unhooked from all of the medical equipment, you went for a walk around the building to stretch your legs.
>When you returned, you see Sunset and Rainbow sitting in front of a laptop. Looks like they are video chatting with someone.

>RD: “Sorry Pinkie, but its classified.”
>Wasn’t a ‘Pinkie Pie’ one of their friends from home?
>You approach the two of them and look into the screen, and a woman with poofy bright pink hair is sitting on her bed on the other end.
>So much pink in that room: The walls, the blankets, even her pajamas.
>PP: “Oh, so you went deep into Antarctica to uncover ruins of a long dead civilization, dealing with months of monotony and storms, only to find that the runs housed an alien parasite that would infect people, and change them on a cellular level to be slaves to its own machinations, and then perfectly imitate its host until it saw the perfect moment to strike; And when it saw that moment it would hideously disfigure the body, turning it into an eldritch horror, and  attempt to kill you all. But, you figured out that it was weak to fire, so then went through hours of deduction to find out who was who, but the only way to actually kill the creature was to destroy the base, but luckily Twilight had sent a rescue team to quarantine the survivors, and ultimately during the whole ordeal you managed to find love. That kind of classified Rainbow?”
>Does she ever stop for breath?
“Pretty much.”
>PP: “Oh is that him? Rainbow tell him that your bestest friend Pinkie says hi.”
>SS: “You know that he can hear you, right?”
>PP: “Yeah, but this is so much better, look how she’s blushing.”
“Yeah, she is pretty cute when she blushes.”
>You sit next to Rainbow before giving her kiss on her cheek.
>As you do you can feel her face warming up as her cheeks turn even redder.
>RD: “Shut up, and stop that.”
>She grabs you by the hair on the back of your neck, and leans in to whisper in your ear.
>RD: “Don’t you ever stop.”
“I would never dream of it.”

>SS: “So Pinkie, I was wondering if I could come to stay with you for a while. Things have been… busy, and I think I want to take it easier for a while.”
>PP: “Of course Shimmy, my house is always open to a friend. *GASP* Me, Fluttershy, and Applejack can throw you a welcome home party! Will Twilight and the two lovebirds be joining us?”
>TS: “I would love to.”
>You turn your head to see Twilight entering the room, as she comes over to sit next to Sunset.
>PP: “Well Rainbow?”
“Come on, it’d be fun.”
>…
>RD: “Fine, but don’t embarrass me.”
“No promises.”
>PP: “Great, now if you’ll excuse me, I have a party to plan. Bye girls!”
>RD+TS+SS: “Bye Pinkie.”
>Sunset shuts down the computer, as Pinkie signs off.
>TS: “You know. I don’t think anyone would notice if we just HAD to stop back at Canterlot Airport for a day or two. You know, to refuel and such.”
>Looks like she isn’t always by the book after all.
>SS: “Well how long do we need to stay here?”
>TS: “We’re already set to go whenever you three are ready.”
>You then head off to clean up.
>Haven’t been able to shower for days.
>After twenty minutes in warm water, you leave the shower to shave.
>You leave a bit of stubble: just how you like it.
>You then change into a fresh set of clothes, provided by Twilight, and go to find the others.
>You find them waiting for you in the same room you left them in, looks like they finished quicker than you did.
>Grabbing your bag that Rainbow saved from the explosion, the four of you head out to the jet.

>As you settle into the jet, you begin to shuffle through what is in the last of your personal effects.
“Hey Twilight! Maybe this wasn’t a complete loss after all.”
>TS: “What do you mean?”
>You remove the three stone tablets from your bag, and take them over to her.
>TS: “Anon, this is amazing, how did you manage to get these out of the base?”
>RD: “I did. When we were last in our room, I tossed them in there. I figured it might come in handy to someone.”
“I also still have the video from when we were in the ruins.”
>TS: “Rainbow, Anon, this is amazing. Let me go amend my report, let me see the tablets and video.”
>You hand her the things she asks for, and then let her get to work typing on her computer.
>You all sit in silence for a while; the only sounds are that of Twilight frantically hitting keys.
>In a half hour or so, twilight shuts the lid on her laptop.
>TS: “Alright, it’s been uploaded.  Anon how would you like to stay on for a little longer, to finish translating.”
“I don’t know Twilight, especially after everything we’ve just gone through. Let me think about it.”
>SS: “Excuse me, everyone.”
>You turn to see Sunset standing behind you holding a bottle of Champaign, and four glasses.
>The three of you rise to each take a glass, as she pops the bottle open, and starts pouring.
>SS: “To surviving.”
>TS: “To surviving.”
>RD: “To surviving.”
“And to those that didn’t.”
>*Clang*
>The four of you enjoy the rest of the almost day long flight, finally taking a moment to relax.
>Eventually you all settle into seats to get some rest, and Rainbow leans over to rest her head on your shoulder.
>You reach down to kiss her, before letting yourself drift to sleep.
>You should be setting down when you all wake up.

>When you reach your destination, Twilight insists on walking.
>It’s not that big of a town, but it’s very… colorful.
>It’s nice, but most importantly, it’s warm.
>The four of you walk a mile or so to reach downtown.
>Pinkie Pie’s Bakery and Party Supply
>Must be the place.
>You enter the building to find the lights off, before being blinded by a flash.
>”SUPIRISE!”
>The lights are on, and you see confetti draping your group.
>TS: “You know Pinkie; it’s not a surprise if we knew you were going to do this.”
>PP: “Oh nonsense Twilight, it’s like you never even took Parties 101.”
>You spend the next few hours having the meet & greet with Rainbow’s friends.
>Pinkie is… well you are never giving her coffee.
>Applejack seems nice; she and Dash seem to have a bit of a sibling rivalry thing going on.
>Fluttershy is quiet, but you think she started to warm up to you.
>Eventually the sun starts to set, and the party starts to die down.
>AJ: “So Twi, you really can’t tell us what went on down there?”
>TS: “I’m sorry guys, but its work related. Classified. “
>FS: “That’s ok Twilight, I’m just glad that you’re all ok from whatever it was.”
>Pinkie obviously is forcing her lips closed as if she wants to blurt out what she knows.
>But an angry glare from Twilight puts her at ease.
>Did her hair just deflate a bit?
>You and Rainbow are about to leave to find a hotel when Twilight’s phone rings.
>TS: “Hello, yes director.”
>…
>TS: “You found what?”
>…
>TS: “You want me?”
>…
>TS: “And my team.”
>…
>TS: “Understood.”
>She puts her phone away, before solemnly looking at you.
>Shit?
>TS: “Doctor, we might need you for something else.”
>Shit.

>Be Rarity
>Be CIA
>Fashion design is just your cover/day job
>Milan, midnight. A cool breeze keeps you cool during the otherwise warm summer night.
>You look down to the ground.
>Fifty feet down.
>The building is too heavily guarded to attempt infiltration from the ground.
>You slide open a window, and then enter the top floor of the building.
>Looks clear…
>That means it isn’t.
>You pull down a pair of infrared goggles to see dozens of lasers between you and your target.
>Motion sensors.
>You’re good, but even you wouldn’t be able to dodge them all.
>There’s got to be a deactivation button somewhere on this floor.
>You work your way down another hallway, drawing your silenced pistol.
>One guard, facing away from you.
>Too easy.
>You silently approach him, before giving him a sharp pistol whip to the back of the neck.
>Catching him to make sure he doesn’t make any noise to alert anyone, you grab his palm, and place it against the adjacent scanner.
>You release the guard to drool into the carpet, before going back to the target hallway.
>You check the infrared.
>Clear.
>The target door has a manual lock, so you pull out your picks.
>Just need to get it in just right… and… you’re in.
>You enter the dark room, and turn on a flashlight.
>A single desk sits opposite the door.
>You sit at it and remove the small key you pickpocketed off of the host at the formal he’s hosting downstairs.
>You unlock the bottom shelf and begin to open it.
“Alright Mr. Del Fiore, let’s see what caused such a commotion over the channels.”
>You look into the shelf.
>Better call it in.
>You remove a stone tablet engraved with small grid-like symbols.