//------------------------------// // Drive Trigger Check // Story: The One Who Leads The Way // by TundraStanza //------------------------------// Céri didn't understand how he had returned to this version of Equestria outside of the house rather than inside. He looked around a bit and saw the figure of Redheart trotting farther away into the distance. It was as if he had barely been gone for what felt like a long time in the changeling-infested world, Yosuke's Equestria. He pulled off the glasses and gently massaged his bandaged cheek. He shook his head and opened the door. Once he was settled on the couch, the first thing he decided to do was check his phone. He had fifteen missed calls, all of them from the same number. He pressed "call back" and waited for the inevitable, conversational grenade. "Cherry, you've got to put an end to this vanishing act," said the voice of his acquaintance. "Where are you?" "I take it the GPS doesn't work, then?" surmised Céri. "All it's telling me is that you're not on any marked location." "I was afraid of that." Céri sighed. "Listen, I think it's going to be a long time before I can make it back. I'm in another universe." "I'll say!" exclaimed the phone. "What did you do? Dig your way all the way through the Earth and end up in China?" "Were I only that lucky." Céri shook his head. "No, the guy that I bought a souvenir from actually turned out to be some cross-dimensional, package deliveryman. Except in this case, the package was me and the destination was some place called 'Equestria'." His acquaintance went completely silent for about ten seconds. "What?" asked the guy on the other end. "I'm stuck in a place called 'Equestria' and I don't know how long it will be until I can get back home," explained Céri. "From what I've gathered from a couple other guys around here, I need to work with a bunch of other people that were pulled into similar situations and then possibly carve our way back to our own worlds together. I just don't know exactly how we're going to do it or how long it's going to take." "Dylanson... are you high?" "I kind of wish I was. It'd make this situation at least a tiny bit less stressful and confusing than what it is right now." "Cherry, hold yourself together, man. Okay? I've called for the police's help. We're going to find you. We'll get you back, and then we'll get you the help you need. Okay?" For the sake of him not looking like an idiot to the police, I hope they do find a drugged up me somewhere and wake me up from this place that I have accepted as my current reality. "Okay, good luck." The phone clicked as the call ended. --- He laid out his humble collection of items on the dining room table. For the next few minutes, Céri stared at everything carefully, trying to make sense of it all. A tiny clawed glove from Kreuger, a pair of illusion-piercing shades encoded with Yosuke's passphrase, and the hundred Cardfight Vanguard cards that only he could call to life. Blaster Dark stood out because he had previously declared Céri as the Shadow Paladins' new Vanguard. What did that even mean? In the anime, the characters emphasized the Vanguard as "the one who leads". Well, to where was he supposed to lead them? How would he know when he arrived? Would that location be the way back home? For the past couple of days, excluding his nearly full day of being unconscious, he had been randomly calling Units forth just hoping that they would work. But doing that had left him feeling like a dead battery after fighting a bunch of changelings. Surely, there was a better way to go about this. Would it hurt to ask? He supposed if he got attacked over a question, he could just call a stronger Unit and force this one back into his card. Céri picked up the Blaster Dark card and held its face to the side. "Call!" he declared. Within a couple seconds, a purple light emerged and took the shape of the dark-armored swordsman. When Blaster Dark noticed a distinct lack of enemies, he set his sword pointed down into the floor and placed both of his hands atop the pommel. His neutral blue eyes stared at his Vanguard expectantly. "What exactly is it that you expect me to do?" asked Céri. "That is for you to decide," said Blaster Dark. Céri massaged his temples before holding out a hand palm-side up. "I know that I get the final say, but I thought I ought to know what you wanted before I continue doing anything." "A warrior that wants is left to his own suffering." The swordsman's expression didn't change. "I am but one warrior among the many that you have. Perhaps you are meant to save us... or perhaps you are meant to destroy us. Either way, we shall keep our loyalties and follow the Vanguard, regardless of the sacrifices." "Like that hippo-gryphon guy?" Blaster Dark closed his eyes. "He showed weakness when he faced another Vanguard. I have no regrets." "Hmm, you're not as bloodthirsty as I thought you'd be." That caught the swordsman's attention as he opened his eyes again. "I always got the impression that the Shadow Paladin clan was full of murderers and thieves that struck down their allies when they wanted more power. But you... you seem more... I don't know... unassuming?" Blaster Dark shrugged his shoulder plates. "What purpose does it serve to become asinine?" "That's... actually a good point," said Céri now that he thought about it. "Is that all you require of me right now?" "One last thing." Céri held up an index finger. "Platinum Feather, whatever, called you by another name. What was that about?" "When we first met, he tried to nickname me 'Darky'. I politely corrected him with my real name: Anakin." "Anakin, huh?" Céri gently smiled. "That sounds pretty cool." "I am glad that you approve." Though, he showed no physical sign that he was glad at all. Soon, Anakin disappeared in a stream of purple light particles. The Blaster Dark card faintly glowed before returning to its normal state. Céri sighed as he sat back down on the chair. He didn't gain a whole lot of information that he was looking for. It was nice that he started to form some mutual trust with his Unit, but he hadn't learned much beyond his name. His purpose was still just as vague as it was before. It occurred to him that he hadn't felt any more of his strength being drained just then. Maybe this version of Equestria was his default and he could call Units as many times as he liked. Leaving this Equestria and answering someone else's call could be like operating on a device away from its charger. Though, he'd have to wait and test that idea when someone else that was displaced called him. His inner thoughts were interrupted by a gurgling noise and a vibration in his abdomen. Céri decided to put his quest for answers on hold as he got up and looked through Redheart's fridge. --- After partaking in an apple and a can of something that tasted like grape soda, Céri went back to looking over his cards. If Anakin could talk, what other Units could speak to him? He recalled that Adamantine Celestial, Aniel only smiled and nodded the two times that he had seen her. As for some of his other Angel Feather Units, they had been in the middle of a battle, which was not the most opportune time for chatting about the weather. Maybe... the first one he had used would have something to say? Worth a shot. "Chief Nurse, Shamsiel! Call!" The robed nurse with pink hair buns and a pair of spectacles appeared with all of her needles attached to her wings. She briefly glanced around her and noticed no enemies. She fiddled with a scalpel in her hands, awaiting her Vanguard's orders. "Can you talk?" asked Céri. Shamsiel blinked at the question. After a slight hum, she closed her eyes and shook her head. "I see..." He looked to the side awkwardly. "Sorry to bother you." She shook her head again and smiled gently. Apparently, she didn't mind. Though, she was quick to return to her card. Céri spent the rest of the daylight hours calling some of his Units out and seeing if any of them would converse with him like Anakin. At most, he would get a laugh or a grunt. He didn't bother with the dragon Units as he didn't want to cause a scene in this town again. As casually as Redheart had made panic and destruction sound around the neighborhood, she could have been the exception to the public's attitude for all he knew. It was about then that the homeowner opened the door and walked in. She hung her cap on a low hanger and trotted over to the fridge. Her eyelids were halfway down. Her mane had a couple ends sticking out in weird directions. To top it off, she was moving fairly slowly. "Hi." Céri gave a small wave of his hand. "Hello," Redheart responded. She grabbed a carrot, pulled open a drawer, and took hold of a vegetable peeler. What still baffled her house guest was how she was doing all of this with just her mouth and one of her front hooves as she navigated the kitchen. After the sound of water running, a peeler scraping off edges, and a few crunches, Redheart looked like she had a bit more light in her eyes. "Sorry if there isn't much to do in here," she said. "I'm usually out all day, so I never felt inclined to add extra things to the house." "That's alright." Céri waved dismissively. "I kind of went through a lot today." --- "An alternate version of Equestria was overrun by the changelings?" reiterated Redheart. "Yeah, it was hectic all around," affirmed Céri. "I can't even imagine what that must have been like." He shrugged. "Exhausting. I don't envy Yosuke or Zecora one bit." "As far as I've seen, the Zecora in our world doesn't fight for lives nearly that often. Though, it's sort of fascinating to know that she could have that potential if the worst came to pass." She placed her empty cup over near the sink. "Let me try to fix up the couch to be a little more comfortable for you tonight. A day like yours would tire anypony out." "So would yours," he remarked. "What was it, six or seven babies in the infirmary?" She sighed. "Twelve now, actually." "How about that?" he asked rhetorically as he put away all of his paraphernalia. --- Emptiness surrounded Céri. He held up the tiny, clawed glove. "Elm Street!" "Good timing, I-" "Yaaaaaah!" Céri spun around in fright before letting out a breath. "Can't you just pop up in front of me like a normal jumpscare? At least I can brace for those." Kreuger made his burned eyelids as deadpan as possible. "Right... anyway..." He held out his non-gloved hand. It held what looked like a tiny pony in mid-kick. "I've got a new key to pass around some of the dreams." Céri grabbed it by the waist. "Why are these 'keys' never actually keys?" "When you find the bastard that sent us all to these different worlds, ask him... and then call The Incredible Hulk so he can punch that stupid merchant's face in." "That's assuming I ever get a key from somebody who cos-played as Hulk to begin with," Céri pointed out. "Fair enough," said Freddy with a shrug. Céri took another look at this new 'key'. While the statuette didn't move, he did hear something. "Hey there! Courtney here. I know I may look and sound like somepony else. For the record, the costume was my boyfriend's idea. But I digress. Holler if you need me." Céri stared at the figurine awkwardly. "Uh..." "Yeah, he's not the first one to get forcibly transgendered." Kreuger shook his head. "And I'm sure he won't be the last." "Is there some reason you can't just... take my key to him in his dreams?" "It's called a copy limit." Kreuger held up his claws. "Anyone who tries to pass around keys other than their own has a finite limit to the supply. Yet, this limit doesn't seem to apply to the original keyholder. Basically, you can hand out your own calling card as many times as you care to do so. But I could only pass around your key about fifteen times before it stopped copying itself." Céri sighed. "I'll never understand these arbitrary rules." "You and me both." Kreuger crossed his arms and vanished from the card fighter's dream. --- He woke up with a bit of morning blurriness in his eyes. There was also a blanket laid atop him. Had Redheart put it there last night? He slowly sat up and pushed that blanket to one side of the couch. He stopped when he noticed the statuette in his hand. Seriously, what were the restrictions on Kreuger's dream-to-reality powers? Céri took a calming breath and stood up. He figured he might as well get this over with. The voice had sounded like a nice enough girl-guy. "Hey, Courtney! Let's talk for a bit," he said while holding up the really little pony. "Céri, who are you talking to?" asked Redheart trotting into the room with a mess of bed hair. "Oh, I was just-" *Boom!* The nurse took several, small steps backward at the sudden noise. Nothing had spontaneously combusted, but hearing the sound was quite startling. Heck, Céri had backed up enough to fall into the couch and sit. After blinking a bit, though, he was able to see what had appeared in the middle of the room. It appeared to be a bronze orange pegasus pony with a slightly lighter shade for the mane and tail. He was wearing a black stetson and what appeared to be saddlebags. Infused with the bags were... twin shotguns? What the hell?! "Wah! Don't shoot! I'm unarmed!" Céri panicked and put up his arms in front of himself to guard. "Huh?" The stallion looked confused before taking a look to either side of him. "Oh, right, those." He smiled and shook his head. "Don't worry. The safeties are on right now. They're not going to fire." Céri exhaled the breath he was holding. Redheart rubbed a hoof against her temple. "I do not need an adrenaline rush right now. I've got to go to work." She stepped out of the room and trotted away. Meanwhile, Céri was getting enough nerve to stand back up and observe the newcomer. "You've already said your name was Courtney." He reached out a hand. "Céri Dylanson." "Pleased to make your acquaintance." The pony put his hoof out and shook the person's hand. "Your passphrase said that your boyfriend came up with that costume," Céri commented. "Where did he get the know-how of what the ponies of this world looked like?" "Oh, that's easy. He just found some fan-art of Calamity from the internet. Turns out, there are a lot of fans of Fallout: Equestria in addition to the Friendship is Magic series." Céri blinked. "Fans of what in addition to the who?" Courtney raised his eyebrow. "Wait, you've never seen My Little Pony? Not even loose mentions scattered online?" Céri shook his head. "No, never. My most recent experience with the internet was seeing a bunch of collaborated Vines about 'Grandpa Hates Valentine's Day'." "Oh... well, then..." The stallion adjusted his hat. "Prepare for a story that's going to sound like I'm selling something." --- "Seriously?" Céri raised his eyebrow. "It just ends with her flying with the wings she had just gotten the night before, looking at the camera, and assuring that things are going to be alright?" "Well, no," admitted Courtney. "There are at least a couple more seasons after that, but that's as far as I got before having an encounter with our 'good friend' the merchant." He held out his tongue in disgust. "Yeah," Céri concurred. "Thanks to that jerk, my acquaintance thinks I'm high and lost in an unmarked ditch somewhere." "Wait, you have contact with your home world?" Courtney's eyes opened wide. "It hasn't helped for the past four days," said Céri dismissively. "Even with the GPS on, it doesn't show up on any marked map. No one in my home world has gotten anywhere close to seamless dimensional travel. I even tried 911 for good measure. No luck." "Oh, I see." The stallion's shoulders slumped and his wings drooped down over his saddlebags. Aw, crap. This conversation is too depressing. New topic! New topic! "So, what's the Equestria like where you ended up?" Calamity/Courtney's eyes practically lit up as he opened up. "Oh, it's nothing like I expected. It was full a lot of crazy, nonsensical stuff. From what I gathered, the Mane Six died out a while ago and what remains are some magical 'Echoes' that are put in charge of specific day-to-day tasks. Twilight's Echo focuses on cyborgs and robotics, Fluttershy's Echo is in charge of biological research and hybrid pets, Pinkie Pie's Echo is all about the happiness found in sweets and sugar-based weaponry, Rainbow Dash's Echo takes care of the aerial machines and tactics, and Applejack's Echo keeps her land infused with power fields for the earth ponies." "I'm getting worn out just listening to that list." Céri then looked off for a moment. "Wait... you only listed five. What happened to the sixth 'Echo'?" "Well... that's even weirder." Courtney pushed his hat up. "You see, Rarity was actually hit by an evil wizard about a thousand years ago, at least in that Equestria. When she finally woke up, she went around trying to discover some holographic tapes in regards to her friends' last hour before the Echoes went online." He rubbed a hoof against the floor. "I... might have accidentally kicked her in the eyes out of hysterics when we first met. I got turned into a pony and suddenly gained a Y chromosome. How in the E.U.N. was I supposed to react to that?" "I can't imagine what that would have been like or if there's even a right way to respond to such an event." Céri scratched his scalp. "So, what happened after that?" "Fluttershy's Echo was courteous enough to give her original's friend two free eye transplants... though, she added a scorpion's tail to her spine as a 'gift'." Céri looked absolutely baffled. "... what." "Did I mention that each of the Echoes have defects that make them insane in one area or another?" "There's insane..." started Céri. "Then there's... I don't even know what that is. Who the hell would think that it's a good idea to slap a scorpion's tail into the back of a pony after replacing their eyes?" He shivered. "If I ever get put in a situation where I have to meet this world's version of Fluttershy, I hope she won't be nearly as crazy." Courtney placed a hoof against the young man's hand. "Well, if Nurse Redheart is any gauge, I'd wager that this version you got tossed into is pretty close to the show's original interpretation of the characters. So, you've got a good shot of meeting the normal, yet somewhat assertive Fluttershy." Céri took a breath and exhaled. "How do you keep your sanity in the midst of all of that?" "Well, I have a bit of help." Courtney took his hoof back and placed it against his chest. "There are times where if I'd normally freeze up, Calamity's instincts kick in and help me think a little more clearly and move. I see that as at least one good thing about having to look like him." "So... do you have another mind that talks you through things, or what?" Courtney shook his head. "I don't hear another set of thoughts. Certain actions just... feel right when I do them. For now, they're keeping my friends and me alive." "I guess." Céri shrugged. "You've got more experience being the pony, so I can't tell you how to live. Oh! Just remembered something..." He pulled out a copy of the smaller, blank-face card and held it out. "I've got your 'key' already, but I'm guessing you don't have mine yet." "That would probably help, at least as soon as we figure out what we're all supposed to do." Courtney took hold of the card, spaced out for a couple of seconds, and blinked. " 'My avatar'?" "That was a common phrase used by the Cardfight!! Vanguard protagonist." Céri chuckled. "I figured it was as good as any." "Hmm, I'll have to look into that show when the displaced can all go home." Courtney nodded before putting the card away into one of his bags. "Thanks for the chat, Céri. I think I needed that." "You're wel-" *Boom!* "Yaaah!" Céri fell to the couch once again. When he looked at the spot, Courtney the Calamity was gone without a trace. "Anyone else want to give me a heart attack?" Céri called as he looked at the ceiling. "Please speak now or forever hold your peace!" "I may require your services. Stand up, my avatar." "Eh, fine." He sighed at the new voice. "Take me away." ---