//------------------------------// // 39. Greetings // Story: Locksmith // by QuartzScale //------------------------------// That same familiar feeling took over as I looked over a large desk with the Lexicon resting upon it. Several pedestals were lit up due to the constant fighting in the Lost Empire. I looked over the book trying to find where my stats were. “Gray… Where are we?” A voice called out from one of the corners of the room that made up my mind. My eyes scanned around as I looked for whomever was speaking to me. In the corner of the room was a familiar looking pegasus examining the pedestals in more detail. When she saw me sitting at the desk she shot forward getting close to me. For some reason she was shaking uncontrollably. “Sunshower! What are you doing here? I mean, seriously, this is my mind in a dream realm and you managed to get in here… Maybe I have some brain damage from not being able to breath during the fight with Rourke.” “This is your mind… In your dream… I don’t get it.” Sunshower puzzled out. “It means that while I’m asleep I lucid dream this place as a sanctum for my heart and soul. The fact that you’re here means that you are really really close to me or you managed to unlock a path for our dreams to work together because you earned your keyblade. Did you figure out what it was called?” “Yeah… It told me that it was called Cloud Nine. I don’t know what it can do yet but I’ll figure it out later when we have more time.” Sunshower answered in kind. “Well for now let’s just relax I suppose. Hm… I feel like there are more things here… Sunshower, I think someone else is here in this dream realm. This is the third time someone managed to get into my dreams from another realm.” Sunshower looked around as a door appeared where I pointed which caused her to jump slightly. She was much more confident since what happened though her eyes seemed a bit hardened. I moved towards the door opening it and looking through. There were footsteps somewhere in the distance. “Keep close. I think someone is in here with us.” “Okay so we were teleported to John's world right?” A man in a white Dusk looking cloak asked a kid in a Samurai looking cloak. “Yes.” The kid nodded. “But then we somehow passed out… and now we’re here in a dream world.” The child said, frowning behind the shadow of his cloak. “Well that's just fantastic.” The man groaned. “Right when bad shit was happening and we needed to be ready for anything. Jeez what next? Meeting new people out of the blue cause the god of convenience said so?” A hissing appeared as a thestral was hanging from the ceiling staring at the two with glowing amber eyes. It eyed them cautiously as several more eyes appeared surrounding the two. The two looked around at the eyes and then shrugged. “Meh.” They both said in unison. “How you doing up their ma’am?” The man asked the thestral with a little wave. “Guy. If anybody looked like a woman it's the two wearing the long flowing robes. So madams should we get you some tea and crumpets since you look like victorian era rejects. “ The thestral intoned with a small wave of his hoof which every other thestral copied. “Rarity and Coco would take great offense at that.” The child says honestly. “Also we're not women, and sorry for thinking you were a woman...distance and all that.” The child shrugged. “You sure? I mean I can see the taller one being too man-ish but you looked like a bishounen type character. It must suck for you since it means women are dominating you left and right with no hope of survival. Also it’s fine. Gray is caring soul. I forgive ya.” Gray chuckled out as the other thestrals followed suit. “More like all my girls keep flirting too much.” The samurai cloaked kid sighed out. “Same difference.” Gray shrugged. “So… who are you two and why are you in my dream realm?” “The name’s Ben, and this is my little brother Joy.” The man said.  “And how we got here...literally no idea.” Ben shrugged. “Earth right? You know the other two… I think one was Zeke and the other was Eclipse. But he’s really called Sparkplug. We can all see the writing on the wall.” Gray slyly rubbed his hoof against his chin. “Yes, we do know of Zeke and Eclipse. Friends of ours actually.” Ben nodded. “So… I suppose you're one of those trollish people huh? Always trying to mess with people even if they're not enemies?” Ben asked, finding what he said before in a kind of 'trollish’ fashion. “Sort of. I’m just tired of others getting too close to getting near where my mind is every time I’m sleeping. Always as if on the dot someone shows up and I have to deal with someone who is either boring, or is technically insane. It gets old real fast and I hate things getting boring. Zeke was a bit boring to mess with while Eclipse was willing to play along. So which are you?” Gray looked down on the two scrutinizing them more closely. “Gray did you find the things that found their way in here?” Sunshower called out. “Yeah!” Gray yelled out. “Are they hostile?” Sunshower peered over some cover she had found. “No!” Gray called back. “We’re not hostile, but for who we are…” Ben started before seeing a small white ball gently float around them. “That's debatable because I have a new life instead of being a depressed sack of shit.” He explained. “Oh… So you’re boring then. Gotcha.” Gray waved it off with one of his wings before pushing the white ball amongst the other thestrals letting them use it as a beach ball. “Um…” Ben started before the ball vanishes away from the thestral and back to Ben and Joy. “Anywhosits, have any adventures while I didn't know you existed?” He asked curiously. “Yup. Called Nightmare Moon a whorse which was hilarious. Fought off two very large snake heartless and I almost died like four times already. It was fun overall. Though I do want to have a mango soon. I need to find some on Equestria. Sunshower! Do you know where I can get mangoes!?” Gray looked towards the yellow pegasus with the light blue mane. “Hollow Shades!” Sunshower answered. “Hollow Shade?” Gray answered back. “Yes.” Sunshower shook her head covering her eyes with her hoof. “Well there is my next adventure. So I take it you’re getting ready for something important? I am too. I’m getting ready for mangoes.” Gray confidently raised his voice. “And our important stuff involves helping people fight against a big bad that wants to kill all existence.” Ben frowned. “And trust me, he can start backing up that claim.” “Neat.” Gray answered in kind with a thin smile. “So… you're happy that everything you know and care about in some sort of way will ripped from you in a very painful way...right?” Joy asked. “Yup. Should be an interesting experience. Sucks to be you though since you have that burden on your shoulders. Have fun with that.” Gray chuckled out slightly. “Denial.” Ben stated, not believing this guy literally wanted his life to end along with whoever cared about him. “Okay so just for your information, there is this guy named Core, and-” “Ah ah ah. Zeke told me about that. I got bored within the first couple of minutes. Heard that pitch and he still hasn’t heard of me or even come to my world. I have never even seen anything about him in anything I’ve done at all.” Gray cut Ben off already hearing the same song and dance before. “Then I suppose he saw you as nothing more than a random fuck wit with a Keyblade.” Joy shrugged. “Cause while he's having fun cloning, murdering people in the billions, and just doing whatever the hell he wants that even a family of the most well known criminals back on Earth condemn, you've just been sitting there not knowing any horrors this real life has to offer.” Joy explained. “And Cores not even the worst thing out there.” “Still neat.” Gray smiled and nodded as if he understood. “Okay… so how was your life before life turned upside down?” Ben asked, not wanting to rush into shouting at him for understanding shit about the grand scheme of things right now. “Oh pretty good. Loving parents and a brother with a wife and child. I became a detective and managed to live a pretty good life. Some bad things happened when the world was spiraling into end of the world mentality. You know fun times. Fun times. Yeah.” Gray sighed wistfully and looked back fondly in nostalgia. “A detective huh?” Ben asked. “So I suppose you actually do have some modicum of understanding about what Zeke told you right? Or do you just outright not give a flying shit?” “Depends? Do you actually care or are you going through the motions because every adult figure in your life failed you in your eyes?” Gray seriously asked. “See you keep doing weird little things with your hands every time we talk since I’ve been exasperating you with my own ideals of treating what you are going through as trivial. I mean it’s obvious that I care but there is nothing that I can do about it since I’m dealing with my own problems in my own world. I mean look at you two. One of you says that they are trying to not be a depressive sack of shit yet your eyes say that you are failing the entire time while the younger one is so lacking in confidence that I’m wondering how he can even stand up to the women in his life and show that he can be dependable. Of course those are really rusty detective skills so you tell me who do you think you two are and whether or not you can really handle that kind of weight on your shoulders. Once again, my two bits.” Gray droned on nodded his head back and forth. “We can.” Joy states. “And if you want cliffsnotes on our lives then that's great, but I doubt you care about how our lives went from decent to absolute shit all because a murderer staged our parents deaths as suicides.” Joy explains. “Huh? Sounds like the Pendragon case my mentor was working on before he wound up with a case of  ‘the dead’.” Gray muttered. “That's because I was their son… the one in the aftermath who thought I was the reason they died…” Ben said sadly. “Weird. The report never mentioned you at all.” Gray seemed to be thinking back. “At least when I got his workload I never saw anything about a kid.” “I was about...maybe ten or twelve at the time. The next six to eight years of my life was hell to say the least. But want to know something special about Joy that might seem crazy?” The dusk cloaked man asked. “What?” Gray wondered. “Long story short he is literally my joy given physical form.” I say. “Yep, he became my 'rejection’ when I was depressed, but after I mastered my Keyblade he came back. But then after a few months or so a stronger being in existence gave him a new body...and he happens to be over three hundred years old cause reincarnation apparently exists.” Ben explained while patting Joy’s head. “Right. That’s a thing then. Hm… At least it’s not as weird as that one case I was on a long time ago. Never let a criminal eat his clam chowder. That was some crazy shit.” Gray chuckled. “Glad to know you have some crazy stories. Cause we have… plenty of weird and crazy stuff to talk about if you ever want to know.” Joy smiled. “Another time. Right now you need to leave and get back to your mission if the world is in such peril. If you survive then good job. If you don’t would you like to be buried or cremated?” Gray held out a small pamphlet detailing the burial process or cremation process. “Um…” Ben frowned. “I'm gonna have to explain how that might not be needed. Thankfully revival items exist to a certain extent. But due to a new genetic father that's...also a thing.” He said sheepishly. “Yeah that’s nice and all but if existence is wiped out then you won’t even leave a body. I guess we could make an effigy for you since they would never find a corpse. Oh well that should work. What did you want?” Gray smiled as he held out a book of effigies. The gorier ones were near the back of the book. “My ten fiance's would kill me if I died. They are wonderful like that.” Ben chuckled and took the book cause why not. “I see you want the one made out of a friend’s stomach since you keep focusing on that page.” Gray grimaced slightly since the book was made of the Lexicon. “Either way.” Ben said while the book vanished. “It was nice meeting you Gray. And if you sense any big explosions from a different multiverse away then you'll know how bad the situation is.” “Yup and have fun with that.” Gray tapped the ceiling with his hoof as two pits appeared below Ben and Joy. “You know we can fly right?” Ben asked, while a door appeared next to the two of them. “This maybe your dream world, but sometimes a few...liberties are taken when others are around. Especially when one already knows how to work with mind logic.” He said while pointing at Joy who has been in his head for as long as he lived. “See ya Gray.” They both said before exiting through the door that was to their left. “Well… that was a thing. Sunshower are you ok?” “Yeah… They were really weird. I was also sure that they were mares too.” Sunshower pondered slightly. “They are firmly in the Zeke camp then… slightly boring for not fully playing along.” “Was it true what you said about them?” Sunshower looked over the area noticing that it was disappearing slowly. “Maybe. They didn’t deny it. Anyways just forget about them for now. It’s not that important in the long run.” Sunshower merely shrugged and followed me back into the room that represented my own mind. I looked over the pedestals really quickly before I had been distracted by an unexpected arrival. The Keyblade pedestal was still only half released. The daggers, the lexicon, and the tomahawk were all released and visible. I didn’t expect much to be released until I looked more closely. The scythe had also been released. The only problem with me summoning it is that it was… pink. ‘It’s still a scythe… but I don’t know if I would be taken seriously with it… Maybe only in Equestria especially by Pinkie Pie since she’s all about being pink…’ I groaned internally to not drag Sunshower’s attention. That brought me back to what I was truly thinking about since I had unlocked two more weapons of the thirteen I was gifted with I should check my level and hopefully the levels of the ladies as well. “So… What’s with the pedestals Gray?” Sunshower looked over the sitar which was covered in dark chains still. “They are weapons that my keyblade can turn into. As you grow stronger your keyblade can shift forms into new things to make combat easier. I have the possibility for thirteen weapons or more.” Sunshower looked at each pedestal and then placed a hoof against her heart. Since gaining her true keyblade she felt a little voice come from inside her. It didn’t come from her brain though. It always seemed to come from the heart. She closed her eyes in quiet contemplation while I looked over the Lexicon that was on my desk. Nebula Gray Level: 23 Attack: 42 Defense: 51 Magic: 46 Sunshower Raindrops Level: 19 Attack: 45 Defense: 36 Magic: 39 Spitfire Level: 21 Attack: 51 Defense: 38 Magic: 32 Octavia Melody Level: 20 Attack: 46 Defense: 50 Magic: 36 Redheart Level: 21 Attack: 43 Defense: 53 Magic: 37 Vinyl Scratch Level: 19 Attack: 34 Defense: 39 Magic: 53 Fresh Coat Level: 18 Attack: 32 Defense: 35 Magic: 49 Those stats were actually pretty close to what I thought that they would be. Sunshower looked over the data as well surprised how… sparse it looked. I could see the confusion entering her eyes. “Confused about the numbers?” “Uh… maybe a little…” Sunshower giggled nervously and tapped her hooves around trying to appear as though she hadn’t been looking over my shoulders. “I can explain somewhat. These numbers are like arbitrary trackers of how strong we are. The only numbers that matter are the last three for each of our respective names. The highest one details which is your best trait. Both you and Spitfire are really good attackers. You have the most physical offensive capabilities out of the entire herd.” “So… we’re good at beating things with sticks… well keyblades for us now. So that means that Redheart and Octavia are best at defense while, of course, our unicorns are best at magic. You seem to be the defensive type.” Sunshower coyly ran her hoof across my neck bring my eyes to hers. “Uh… yeah. I defend those who need me… It’s… uh… what I do.” I think she learned about what she could do in a dream realm now. Before she could close in for a real long kiss the entire dream realm started to shake uncontrollably. Cursing her luck, Sunshower immediately went for my lips. As she got closer the entire dream faded and I was starting to feel as though somepony was shaking me. In all that time, for that particular moment, I knew somepony was gonna be getting an earful of a cockblocked mare.