Chapter 1

___________________________________________________________

I look between the zebra and three fillies, waiting for a response.

When I get nothing, I fold my arms, raising an eyebrow. “Um, do I have to repeat myself?”

“Why-why-why do ya wanna see Princess Cel-Cel-Celestia?” Apple Bloom stutters as the farm pony holds tightly onto her Pegasus friend.

I blink, before sighing. Clearly we’re not going anywhere without some explinations.

You’d think saving their lives from a freaking giant lizard with four heads would be enough, but, I guess not.

Sighing, I hold up my right fist, the claws coming out.

“Like I said, you can call me 23. I’m not from this world. I’m what would be called a Mutant. However, I wasn’t always.”

“Wha-what were you before?” Sweetie Belle whimpers from within Zecora’s grasp.

“I used to be something called a human,” I glance over at her. “Perhaps you’ve heard of them?”

“Wa-wait. Hee-yu-man? Like what mah sister said Princess Twilight went to help a while back?” Apple Bloom’s remark makes me inwardly smile.

Ah, so post season three. Getting some good info from this. Maybe talking wasn’t such a bad idea after all.

“Yes, I was,” I don’t bother elaborating that I wasn’t like those humans or from that world specifically. It’s not important right now. “However, something switched me into this body and brought me to your world, about an hour ago, here in the Everfree Forest.”

“Wait. If you’re not from this world, how do you know we’re in the Everfree Forest?” Scootaloo asks, looking suspicious.

I shrug. “There’s an Everfree in that world too.”

Thank you Legend of Everfree. Realized my mistake as I was making it and you just saved my ass.

“Wait a moment, if you please?” I glance to Zecora, who’s frowning slightly. “You said you were switched into that body? Explain, to put us at ease.”

I indicate to my claws with my head. “This body belongs to a mutant named Laura, who also goes by the codename: X-23. She’s a clone of another mutant, Wolverine. I shouldn’t be in her body, as I am not her, but, I woke up like this. Honestly couldn’t tell you why, though, as I haven’t the faintest idea.”

Zecora keeps eye contact with me for a few moments, before nodding slightly.

“She is telling to truth, it would seem. Her past she has nothing to tell us, nothing to gleam.”

“How can she tell us who she is, but not know who she is?” Scootaloo asks firmly, before eeping as I glance at her.

I retract my claws, folding my arms. “Whatever sent me to your world messed with my memories too. I remember some things, but when it comes to me personally, shattered is the best description for my memories.”

Any further conversation is cut off by a massive booming sound.

Turning, we can see a large plum of black smoke in the air.

“What in Equestria was that?!” Sweetie Belle shouts.

A thought occurs to me and I turn to the zebra. “Zecora, is Princess Twilight in town today?”

The zebra seems puzzled by my question, but answers with a nod. “She should be back from a recent meeting she went to have in Canterlot. I had arranged to bring these three fillies to have a lesson on fauna and rot.”

…

Odd thing to be teaching kids, but, okay. Guess I’ve heard weirder.

“Yeah,” Apple Bloom chimes in. “Mah sister said the princesses called her on an urgent matter o’ some kind. She shoulda been back this mornin’.”

Bright multi-coloured light shines off in the distance to our left, followed by what looks like a multi-coloured nuclear mushroom cloud.

I frown.

Eeyup. Tirek. Twilight’s having her DBZ fight with him right now… which means these three fillies are not safe here.

“Zecora, take these three and head for Ponyville, now!” I point in the direction of the first plume of smoke, which I now know was Golden Oak Library being blown to pieces by Tirek. “You’ll be safer there.”

“What about you?” she asks, quickly putting the injured Scootaloo on her back. “Will you not be coming too?”

“Nah,” I grin, my claws coming out. “I’ve a feeling there’ll be an opening to give Tirek some pain.”

Without another word, I run off in the direction Twilight and Tirek are fighting, following the scent of something I can’t place, but guess is Tirek and using my memory of the episode to figure out where I’m supposed to go… though I’m slightly distracted by something Scootaloo shouts as I ran away.

“Why do you sound like a pissy Pinkie Pie?”

This… is an odd thing for her to ask, but… a little test, quoting some of Pinkie’s lines… and I do kinda sound like an edgy Pinkie Pie.

Did Andrea Lidmen voice X-23 at some point? I know Tara Strong did in some video games, but wasn’t aware Andrea had lent her voice to the murderous mini mutant on occasion.

Shaking it off, I break through the trees just as Tirek is draining Twilight of all the Alicorn Magic in Equestria.

I wait, keeping close to the trees until Tirek starts growing, til he’s towering over the trees. I don’t even come up more than halfway of one of his hooves.

After he yells in triumph, he turns, his eyes on Twilight and co as Discord’s clearly telling her about how he’s learned the true value of friendship… a sneer forming on Tirek’s lips.

Okay. That didn’t happen in the show.

I charge forward, claws out, using a nearby rock to leap up, just managing to get above his back left hoof and sink my claws into him.

Tirek cries out in confused pain.

It didn’t sound too deep a cry, more like the kind when you stub your toe or cut yourself.

Does feel a bit demeaning that, even as X-23 and piercing his skin with four freaking Adamantium claws, I apparently did no more than give him a light papercut… but if I can use that to keep him distracted long enough, he loses anyway.

Not taking a second to pause and give Tirek time to comprehend where the pain, small as it may feel, is coming from, I use my claws to rapidly climb up his leg and side, using only my hand claws, as the extra pull from gravity every time I have to pull an arm higher likely causes more pain.

When I’m standing on Tirek’s equine back, he turns his top back around to look at me, towering over my form, confused and frustrated.

“What? A human?! How?”

Huh. So he knows about humans. Filing that information under “that’ll be interesting to learn about later”.

I smirk, clanging my claws together. “You wish, Tirek. You’re dealing with a mutant.”

He looks me over, more confused than frustrated now. “Mutant? I see nothing to suggest you are mutated.”

“Then let me show you!” I snarl.

I rush forward, claws ready to strike.

Almost looking bored, Tirek reaches his hand towards me.

That massive pool of magic must have given him brain damage to not see what’s coming next.

Tirek yells with fury as I thrust my claws as hard as I can into his oncoming hand.

He pulls back, myself being yanked along for the ride with how deep I got my claws in and the dumb idiot’s movements moving them into an angle that gives me more grip under his skin.

Roaring, Tirek moves his other hand towards me, clearly intending to swat me between his palms like a fly.

Giving a shriek of my own, I use my legs to pull myself out of his hands, my momentum sending me falling towards that weird arrow pointing down to where his junk would be if he weren’t a centaur.

I thrust my arms forward, the claws sinking into the flesh here much easier.

Tirek roars in pain as I slide downward, my claws ripping through his skin, blood trailing down after me.

I pull myself out just before reaching the edge of his flesh and jump down, running.

Tirek takes two steps forward, before I feel a searing hot burning feeling worse than anything I’ve ever felt, even if what I feel seems to have grazed me.

I drop to the ground, hissing in pain.

“Impossible!” Tirek gasps as I push myself up, ignoring the pain as best I can. “You can’t still be alive after that! That spell burns organic matter!”

Oh. That explains why my clothes are unharmed, while the flesh beneath it feels like it was nearly melted off.

“Easy, Tirek,” I smirk, wincing as blood trails down my everything. “I told you. I’m a mutant. Gimme a few hours and all these burns will be gone, like they never happened.”

He blinks, then sneers, an orange and black magic orb glowing between his horns. “Too bad you won’t have that long. Did you really think a weakling like you could defeat me?”

I spit out some blood, leering. “Oh, I wasn’t trying to beat you. I just needed to distract you.”

“Huh?” Tirek’s magic fizzles out as confusion comes to his face, before a light shines from near the direction of Celestia and Luna’s old castle.

I chuckle. “And that’s checkmate.”

I watch in amusement as Twilight and co show up in their Rainbow Power forms and blast Tirek, sending him back to Tartarus.

I’m… honestly not sure what happened next as I saw a flash of light similar to the Elements of Harmony… and then I’m standing with Celestia, Luna, Cadance, Spike and Discord, Twilight’s merchandise castle grown and towering high and all my burns from Tirek are healed.

Did I get a one-time super charge for my accelerated healing from the Elements?

“But, whose is it?” Twilight asks as she and the others are facing away from us, staring up at her new castle.

“I believe it is yours, Princess Twilight,” Celestia says… not seeming to be at all questioning my existence as I stand right next to her, our heads at even heights.

Twilight and the others, thankfully, are not so oblivious.

“Hey! What’re you doing in Equestria, miss human?” Twilight asks, pointing, sounding equal measures demanding and concerned.

I smirk, holding up my left fist as my claws come out. “You can call me 23, Twilight. And I’m no human. I’m a mutant.”

I can’t wait to see her shocked and puzzled look… only I get recognition instead?

“Oh my goodness! Are you one of those mutants my friends at CHS talked about? Is your mutant power resisting magic’s influence?”

I just stare, my jaw agape.

I… but… WHAT?!

___________________________________________________________

I pass through the portal, startling the CHS girls. Twilight clearly just mentioned knowing about the new girls and my sudden appearance has not helped lessen the worry and confusion of matters.

After Twilight dropped the bombshell that apparently mutants exist in the EQG world, meaning it’s a Marvel based one, I’d hung around the castle to help Twilight move her stuff in.

My reason? I planned on going to EQG during the events of Rainbow Rocks with her.

Sure, originally, I’d planned on talking with Celestia to see about sending me home, even though it would’ve been near impossible to explain to my family how I’d turned into X-23, especially since I’d be the very first mutant in our world… but once Twilight unintentionally let it slip this version of EQG is also a Marvel based world, like hell am I just gonna sit on the sidelines here.

If this EQG world is one based in Marvel lore, my body could’ve come from there.

If so, I need to let the X-Men, especially Wolverine, know about it.

For all I know, Weapon X could’ve sent X-23 into Equestria to observe it for study or takeover and whatever wiped her essence out of this body and put me in it was Equestria’s defence.

Even if their first plan failed, they’ll just try again.

Sooner we can work together and cripple their operation, the better.

Besides which, there’s another worrying possibility I need to be sure won’t happen.

If this EQG world is Marvel based and there are mutants in that world… there’s likely a Mutant Response Division too.

How do I know this?

When Twilight explained what she’d learned about mutants from her CHS friends and the research she’d done in the library, she mentions she’d read about an event that had happened in Neigh York… an event that sounded a lot like The Phoenix Force attacking Magneto’s Sentinels… from Wolverine and the X-Men.

It also would explain why no one really questioned magic in EQG. Magic is a well-established thing in Marvel, so it would hardly seem odd to most people in that world.

There’s just one problem with that revelation: Me.

I’m not the Wolverine and the X-Men version of X-23. Not only was she younger than I am, her hair was black, like her dad’s. And she had black lips too.

I’ve brown hair and green eyes.

So, for whatever reason, I was right when I felt I was the wrong X-23, because I am wrong.

And, if the EQG world is indeed one where Wolverine and the X-Men happened, with the magical explosions that happened at CHS during the events of the last movie, I’d be willing to bet all my claws the MRD took notice and, if they don’t mistakenly suspect the girls are mutants, they will during the Battle of the Bands, not at all helped by the Sirens flaunting their magic without a care up to that point.

Sure, Senator Kelly tried to stop the Sentinel Program and I’d assume try to downscale the MRD… but how long has it been since The Phoenix Force was defeated?

Has Kelly already been released from prison in Genosha after Magneto and Quick Silver were banished for trying to force the Genoshans to go to war by tricking them into thinking the humans attacked them first?

All worrying questions, not helped by Twilight’s lack of knowledge due to not asking, being focused on getting her crown back before the portal closed.

I’ll be damned if I let the MRD take them prisoner.

So, after Twilight got Sunset’s message and made her machine to keep the portal open, here we are.

“Wait. Twilight, who’s this person?” Rainbow Dash demands, pointing accusingly at me, before looking slightly confused. “I mean… pony?”

I smirk, flashing my right claws, startling them all.

“Mutant, actually. Call me 23.”

“She’s here to keep you all safe,” Twilight explains, Spike hopping up into her arms.

“From who? The new girls?” Rainbow asks, giving me a side-eye.

Twilight shakes her head, her expression grim. “The Mutant Response Division.”

At once, they all tense.

“The MRD are coming here?” Dash asks, shocked.

“Why? There ain’t any mutants around here.” Applejack glances at me. “Well, least, not til today, anyhow.”

“Trust me, Applejack,” I snarl. “I’ve no doubt they’ll be coming here. The MRD have never cared if someone is or isn’t actually a mutant before arresting them. If they suspect even a little that you could be one, they’ll still take you in.”

“But, none of us are mutants at all!” Rarity says furiously. “We use magic, not mutant powers.”

“The MRD don’t know the difference,” I sniff the air. “They shoot and lock you up first and ask questions later… if they can even be bothered to remember to ask later.”

“Anything?” Twilight asks anxiously.

I look incredulously at her. “Twilight, I have no memories of this body’s time in this world. How would I recognize smells the original Laura did before her existence got wiped out and I took her place?”

Twilight’s face goes from lavender to bright pink. “Oh, um, right. But… anything seem off to you?”

I close my eyes and sniff the air again.

Nothing… seems off.

Normal city smells, if stronger than I’m used to, since my sense of smell is far stronger now than it was when I was human.

“This… body?” Fluttershy whimpers.

I’m gonna be giving this story for quite a while.

We move to head off towards Sugar Cube Corner to chat, when I suddenly notice a new smell, one I’d missed either due to adjusting to the stronger than expected city smells or we hadn’t been close enough for it to stand out.

Snarling, I whirl around to face an alley we’d just been passing, claws out, only to feel my claws pulling upward and I’m lifted into the air.

“Well, well, well. Isn’t this a surprise?” actor Tom Kane’s voice says from the shadows of the alley.

Instead of the actor, like I knew from the moment I felt my claws being pulled, a man wearing a red outfit that looks like armour, including a helmet, steps forward.

“No way,” Rainbow Dash whispers, terrified.

“Not him!” Applejack shakes her head, her face ashen.

“Magneto!” I snarl.

“Here I thought finding the mutants who created that fuss here in Canterlot was going to be difficult,” he looks all the girls over, before looking at me with curiosity. “You wouldn’t happen to know another mutant with metal claws, by chance, would you, my dear? A man named Wolverine?”

Wait.

Something’s up. Even though I’ve a metal skeleton, just like Logan, it doesn’t feel like he’s focusing on it, only my claws. I wonder…

I start trying to move and find it’s not too difficult to pull down at bit.

“Now, now, my dear,” Magneto says, sounding a little less amused as the pull on my claws grows, making it more painful to resist. “Even if your entire skeleton isn’t covered in metal like your fellow mutant, your claws are. Please don’t make me damage you? I wish to learn more about you, not harm you.”

I stop struggling, staring at him in confusion.

Wait… what?

I don’t have an Adamantium covered skeleton? Only my claws?

There isn’t much time to dwell on it, as Magneto stumbles back, as if hit by something, before his helmet goes flying and someone is standing in front of him, a hand on his face.

I drop to the ground, landing on my feet and staring, my brain going a hundred miles a minute.

As Magneto collapses, the person turns around.

It’s a girl, barely a year or so older than twenty, if I had to guess, considering how tall she is compared to any of us.

She’s wearing a yellow and green body suit, yellow gloves, yellow boots, a belt with a red and black X symbol and a brown jacket.

Her hair is brown, save a small bit at the front, that’s transparent white.

It’s Rogue! What in the world is she doing here?!

She looks to me, her eyes being drawn particularly to my claws as I retract them.

“Do you know Logan? He has claws like those too.”

Rogue is in Canterlot… and she just took Magneto out like it was nothing.

The hell is going on here?!

Author's Note

Yeah. This surprised me too.

I had no intention of updating this fic again til any of the updates i mentioned i want to do first... but, as time wore on throughout the week, I realized i wouldn't feel right leaving it there.

So, here we are. an unexpected updated, though the only one i truly plan on for the foreseeable future until those others updates are done, including finally updating the Peni Parker story

Tirek knows about humans? What does he know? And how?

So, how is the EQG world a Marvel based one featuring the events and characters of Wolverine and the X-Men, when 23 knows she's not the Wolverine and the X-Men X-23?

Ah. answers for later, but based slightly within the origin story of the show from which her appearance actually comes from.

she's got a lot to reel about now, huh? Not only does she now know only her claws are Adamantium, but she now has to explain her existence to Rogue, but worry about Magneto being close by AND the MRD AND the Sirens on top of all that.

Girl just cannot catch a break.

Now the question is... since the events of Wolverine and the X-Men's show have already finished... what is 23 going to be dealing with now?

and what other aspects of Marvel is she going to have to contend with?

only other Marvel characters she knows are in that world are Hulk and Shield, since they were also in Wolverine and the X-Men.

But, if Hulk's in the EQG world, all his enemies are too?

And, since Hulk vs Wolverine is spiritually canon to Wolverine and the X-Men, does she have to worry about Deathstrike, Omega Red and Deadpool too?

Oof. she's stepped into a much bigger powder keg than she was bargaining for.

So, will Rogue and 23 hang around for the rest of Rainbow Rocks? or, will 23 have to go with Rogue to meet the X-Men... and confront the man who's biologically now her father?

Will the MRD actually be an issue and, if so, HOW big an issue?

Have fun speculating until i get around to the next chapter.

hope you enjoyed this one though and, til next time, stay safe, stay clean and goodnight everybody